Before the Fame
by WorldNerd12
Summary: Before the fame, Lyra was just a simple girl from New Bark Town who wished nothing more than to travel the world with her very own Pokémon, so when Professor Elm asks her to do just that, she can hardly say no. Join Lyra as she battles against the dreaded Team Rocket, makes the most peculiar friends, and takes on the challenge of the Pokémon League. Gameverse.
1. Prologue: Rocket Resurfacing

_Author's Note: This story will be about Lyra's adventures through HeartGold and SoulSilver. I am making her twelve to start off, but instead of having her do everything in, like, twenty-five hours, I going to span this story over the course of three or four years, so by the time she battles Lance, she'll be around sixteen. I kind of imagine the Johto region to be as large as the Midwest, so some city's are going to be far apart. That's just to make it a little more realistic. I'm also borrowing the idea of Boutiques from X and Y. I'm sorry, but the characters in this story are not going to be wearing the same clothes for three years straight. That's just gross. It's just small liberties like that I will be making. You have been warned._

_Anyways, enough of that and on to the story. _

_Enjoy!_

* * *

**Prologue: Rocket Resurfacing**

_Tunnel Basement – Goldenrod City_

The cold metal of the walls and ceiling gleamed harshly in the florescent lighting while every distinct footstep hit the white tiles with a purpose. Each time Archer pounded the floor with his boots, his resolve intensified, fueled by his anger. The only thing he had asked the grunts to do was to keep watch and keep quiet. They were not to draw attention at any cost until Archer could be sure of success – it would not do to scare Giovanni away with the sudden spike in arrests of people who had associated with Team Rocket back in its glory days.

No, it simply was not acceptable to let people see them before they were strong enough to announce the anticipated return of Team Rocket, and success was still just a mere wish in the Executive's mind.

Yet somehow the grunts had deluded themselves into thinking that they had already regained the fearsome reputation Giovanni had established, and they had tried to break into the Dragon's Den in Blackthorn City. The only reason why the carefully plotted plan hadn't disappeared into the wind without so much as a second thought was because the Gym Leader and the rest of the clan had no wish to unnecessarily scare the residents of Johto and Kanto.

And now the Dragon Tamers were viciously interrogating those very grunts. Rumors were spreading that even the Champion was involved, which, Archer thought, would be obvious considering that he was a part of the clan.

At least Archer had several less incompetent idiots in his precious organization. For that very reason, he had only trusted the other Executives to the details. Yes, they were less powerful than he was, but they knew how to keep a secret.

The doors opened before him as he entered the room, a _whoosh _of cool air blowing from behind him as he assessed the people before him: Proton, the aggressive bully responsible for blackmailing the Senators of Johto into relaxing law enforcement vigilance; Petrel, the trickster without whom Rocket wouldn't have had half the members if not for Petrel's way with words; finally Ariana, the power-hungry criminal without a conscience.

Ariana stood first, but Archer stopped her, instead turning to Petrel. "I want you to go to Blackthorn City and clean up the mess that moron made. Bring a Slowpoke with you."

Petrel merely smiled as he would if he were giving a young boy candy. "A display of my talents at last. I was starting to feel underappreciated."

Proton snorted. "Talents? You call playing dress up a talent?"

Archer ignored him and directed his next question at Ariana. "I want an update on the HQ."

Ariana stuck out her chin and said, "Petrel has finally convinced a lady to take a permanent vacation outside Celadon City in Kanto. Her daughter just got permission from the Leader there to train in her gym, and it's a long-term thing. She had no idea that her shop sat on a series of underground tunnels. We should be safe there for the time being."

Archer allowed himself a small smile before saying, "I think Giovanni will be impressed with our progress once he hears of the much feared return of Team Rocket."


	2. The Start of a Journey

**Chapter 1: The Start of a Journey**

_New Bark Town_

"Lyra! You're late!"

Lyra squeezed her eyes shut at the sound of her mother calling her from downstairs. Why wasn't she allowed to sleep in? It was Saturday after all – it was Saturday!

She bolted straight up in her bed as if Zapdos had jolted her with electricity. Today she turned twelve years old, and today was the day Professor Elm wanted her to visit his lab. Lyra secretly hoped that this would be when Elm would tell her to go out onto Route 29 and catch her first Pokémon to start her dream of reaching the Indigo Plateau, the place where only the most powerful trainers went to test their strength and bonds with Pokémon.

But then again, he probably just wanted her opinion on whether a Pidove from the Unova region could cross with a Pidgey.

Regardless of Elm's motives, Lyra refused to miss another chance to prove she was capable of venturing out into the rest of Johto and taking on the different gyms dotted around the region. She threw on her clothes and rushed downstairs to find her mother calmly sitting at the kitchen table, eating her cereal slowly. Mrs. Soul's slowness only increased Lyra's urgency.

"Have you seen my bag – wait! Do you think Professor Elm is at the lab yet… never mind, he's always there early. Mom, where did I put my shoes?" Lyra rambled, yanking pillows off the sofas and sifting through the blankets.

"Over by the door, Ly," she said patiently. "And your Pokégear just got back from the shop. Next time remind Ethan not to push you in the lake."

It wasn't so much as Ethan's fault – more like Marill's fault. That mouse simply didn't understand that not everybody loved the lake as much as he did, but her mother would never blame such a sweet Pokémon like Ethan's Marill. Little did she know that Marill was very capable of being the opposite of sweet.

Lyra thanked her mother and hurried out of the door and into the sunlight. Off to the east lay Kanto and Victory Road, but she knew that she wasn't going to go that way for a long time. Only the most experienced trainers were allowed to challenge the Elite Four and the reigning Champion. It would be several years before she was at that level.

"_Mar!_" Marill squeaked, and Lyra hadn't even noticed the blue mouse racing around her feet. She instinctively clutched her newly repaired Pokégear, but Marill didn't pay much attention. He was waving to a boy running for her house.

"Lyra!" Ethan jumped up and down, waving his hand. "Professor Elm was looking for you."

Lyra giggled at her best friend. "Why do you think I'm in such hurry? Mom told me several days ago that he would want me at his lab today."

"He just sent me to make sure you were going," Ethan said, a tinge of pink appearing on his cheeks. "I already knew that."

"Don't worry; I'm heading to his lab right now," she said.

"Right, right – Marill, where are you going?! Well, see you later, Ly!" Ethan called while running off after Marill who rushed after a Rattata in the distance.

Lyra sighed. Ethan had been her best friend for as long as she could remember, but it wasn't like she could be picky in such a tiny town. There were three kids close to her age, and only one person was older since June Elm had recently moved out of the house above Professor Elm's lab to the Indigo Plateau to work as a Nurse, leaving her younger brother, who was only two years younger than Lyra, to help in their father's lab. Her boyfriend, Vince , was going to join her the next year sometime, so pretty soon there would be nobody older.

That left only the two Malley twins, and Lyra certainly wouldn't count them as friends since they teased Ethan mercilessly, and Yvonne was convinced she would marry the Champion. Yvonne and Georgia had always flaunted their distant relation to Jasmine, the Gym Leader in Olivine; according to Georgia, they were fourth cousins.

At any rate, Lyra had left Professor Elm waiting long enough, so she continued to Elm's lab, which looked much more interesting than usual.

As Lyra made her way to the Professor's lab which she knew also served as his house, there was flash of red from the side of the lab that caught her eye. She proceeded cautiously to where the red was, and she let out a breath of relief when she saw the it was only a boy around her age with dark red hair that fell flat on his head.

"Are you lost?" Lyra asked loudly since the boy hadn't noticed her yet.

A scowl come over his features as he shifted his piercing gaze to her, and Lyra flinched as he spat, "Leave alone, girl. Did you hear me ask for your help?"

Lyra had never had anyone look at her like that, look at her with such hate. "Excuse me for only being polite," Lyra defended, now angry herself. "I just thought-"

"Well, you thought wrong, you little shrimp. Now leave me alone," he said with more venom in his voice than an Arbok.

Lyra was speechless. She had only tried to help someone, and here he was, insulting her. "Fine then," she said in a quivery voice. "Who cares anyways, you meanie?" Lyra ran quickly to the Professor's lab before she started crying.

After taking a moment to compose herself, she opened the door to find Elm's assistants bustling about as Elm himself stood at the back of the lab, reviewing something on his computer, but that wasn't what held Lyra's attention. Behind Professor Elm were three Poké Balls, gleaming in the fluorescent light, just waiting for Lyra to pick them up…

"There you are, Lyra! I was waiting for you," Elm cheerfully said before turning back to the screen. Lyra poked her head around the professor's shoulder to see an image of somebody holding on to what looked like a very large egg. She was tempted to ask what it was, but given Elm's tendency to ramble about any new findings, she figured that it would be best to wait until Elm could no longer keep his mouth shut about the discovery.

Finally, Elm rose and shook her hand vigorously. "So glad you came, Lyra. I have a favor to ask of you."

Here, Lyra felt her balloon of happiness pop within her at his words. So he wasn't going to show her how to catch her own Pokémon; it was just another errand. While Lyra had been expecting that, she still felt the disappointment at those words.

Elm continued as if he didn't notice Lyra's face fall slightly. "I have this acquaintance, Mr. Pokémon, who lives a little north of Cherrygrove City. I know it's a long ways away, but he has recently discovered something that I just _need _to look at. He thinks it's an egg, but I need to know what kind of egg. I was wondering if you could help me with that?"

Elm looked at her pleadingly, and Lyra could never turn down the professor. He was the only reason that two or three Trainers would occasionally pass through each year for the extra practice before reaching the Indigo Plateau. It was the most exciting thing to ever happen to her town; she could still remember Ethan and her fooling around with a particularly playful Dragonite while his trainer was busy inside of Elm's lab. Lyra was only seven at the time, but it was one of her best memories, and the Dragonite had given her and Ethan a great game to play themselves and Marill when they were bored (Moosie, Moosie).

"No problem, Professor," she told Elm, and he clapped his hands together.

"Excellent! Now I know your mother would have my head if I let you venture out onto Route 29 without a Pokémon, so as of right now I have three Pokémon for you to choose from: Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile."

Lyra froze, barely daring to believe it. "Y-you mean my own P-Pokémon?" she stammered, staring at the individual Poké Balls. Receiving a Pokémon from Elm was everybody's dream, and this could mean Lyra would finally have a chance to see the world, everything from Cianwood to Blackthorn, while pursuing her goal of the Pokémon League.

"Right now it is only temporary, but I-"

Lyra could care less if it was only temporary. She loved New Bark, yes, but she knew there was so much out there for her to experience. "Can I see the Pokémon?" she asked.

Elm nodded. "Of course, but remember to choose carefully." He pressed the small white buttons on all of the Poké Balls, and there was a flash of light before the three were released.

Lyra immediately spotted the cutest: the Chikorita, but she was interrupted when something nipped at her hand. A small blue Pokémon grinned at her before racing off to find the nearest thing to play with. Chikorita happily yipped, _Chik! _The Chikorita ran after Totodile, but the last Pokémon, an adorable Cyndaquil, waddled right up to Lyra and curled up into a little ball on her feet.

"I'm sorry about that. I forgot to mention that Totodile likes to bite," Elm apologized.

"My hand will be fine," Lyra said, shrugging it off. The Cyndaquil sighed happily, and Lyra leaned down to pick him up. The pelt of black fur was softer than anything she had ever felt, and the heat from his back warmed Lyra from her head to her toes. Cyndaquil nestled himself even further into her arms, and Lyra knew her decision.

"I'll take Cyndaquil," Lyra said happily, hugging her Pokémon. Cyndaquil made a funny noise that could only be interpreted as a laugh.

"A perfect choice, Lyra! Well then, I wish you the best of luck. The routes around here aren't particularly dangerous unless you continue north on Route 45. Once you reach Cherrygrove, just continue north until you reach his house. It's a fairly straightforward path."

Lyra looked at Cyndaquil. "Ready to start your very first journey?" she asked.

Cyndaquil nodded and yipped, "_Cyndaaa!_" in affirmation.

* * *

_The Dragon's Den – Blackthorn City_

Clair stomped her foot in frustration while Lance stood as still as a statue, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes at their grandfather. Behind Lance stood his Dragonite who mimicked his trainer, though admittedly it was much more laughable since Dragonite couldn't quite reach far enough to fully cross his arms. Instead, he had settled for placing his giant hands on his belly.

"Grandfather! We can't just let him get away without punishment," Clair yelled, but the Elder did not flinch. Instead, he sighed as if Clair was a small child who wouldn't stop complaining.

"Clair, you must learn the value of patience. You are still too proud and impulsive; you would also do well to remember my words, Lance," the Elder gently said.

Clair growled while Dragonite blew small flickers of flames in irritation at the words.

Lance stood up, protesting, "And yet what stopped those grunts, Grandfather? Because I'm sure it wasn't your words or patience. Team Rocket has been underground for three years, but if their daring enough to break into the shrine and try to steal a Dratini, then we need to make sure they don't try it again. If it's the both of us, then-"

The Elder held up in his hand to silence Lance.

He stood still, staring at all three of them. "If there is one flaw you two have in common, its overconfidence." Here, Dragonite snarled, but the Elder paid no attention. "Nobody is invincible, including you two. The grunts may have been defeated easily, but the time may come when the both of you are outmatched and must use your words to avoid a conflict. Now away with you. I must speak with the other elders before we decide on a fair penalty."

Clair wanted nothing more than to stay there and make her point heard. If somebody were to beat both her or Lance, they would have to be a once-in-a-lifetime prodigy, but it was impossible to defeat the two of them together. She glanced at her cousin, but he shook his head in warning. It was clear they weren't going to win this argument, and Clair stormed out of the shrine, all of her protests unwilling to pass her lips.

* * *

_Route 29_

It was a dream. That's all it was. To say that the journey was really happening was still too big for her to grasp at.

But if it was a dream, it really was the most wonderful dream Lyra had ever had. The rays of sunshine shone on various patches of grass, scattered by the leafy treetops. Cyndaquil strolled alongside her, soaking in the sunlight. Every time they passed a spot of brilliant sunlight, Cyndaquil would scramble for it, the fire on his back flaring in appreciation. Lyra giggled at the adorable Pokémon. Already she was loved him.

Lyra knew that it would take a very long time to train Cyndaquil and to eventually reach Indigo Plateau, but she was already one step closer to battling the Champion. Obviously, she would need to catch more Pokémon if she ever wished to challenge the Elite Four and some of the tougher Gym Leaders, but Ethan had made sure when Lyra was allowed to take the League Challenge, she would not resort to just one type of Pokémon.

"_With the exception of Blue in Viridian City, ninety-five percent of trainers and gym leaders prefer one type over any others. Do not let yourself get pulled into that trap. If you have a diverse team, you'll always be sure to have at least one type advantage."_

Lyra stared at Cyndaquil while he rolled on his back. Did she care about him? Definitely. Would she stick with fire-types? Lyra tilted her head to the side. She couldn't bear to stick Cyndaquil into a PC just so she could have more powerful fire Pokémon. No, she would travel the world, finding the Pokémon that she could trust and love. Ethan was right.

"_Tatta!_" something hissed. Lyra jumped, and Cyndaquil's back blazed with fire.

A wild Rattata jumped out from behind a tree, swiping at Cyndaquil. He dodged it and ran to Lyra, hiding behind her legs, quivering.

Lyra glanced around. Like Cyndaquil, she wasn't too keen on fighting a wild Rattata when she only left New Bark Town an hour ago, but the Rattata wasn't about to run away. It bared its teeth and growled at the two of them. Lyra glanced down at Cyndaquil. Did he already know any moves?

"_Tatta!_" The Rattata had no more patience left. The little purple mouse lunged for Cyndaquil.

Lyra yelped. "Cyndaquil, use tackle!" It was the only move she could recall from Ethan's lecture on young Pokémon and the few attacks they knew.

Cyndaquil mercifully snapped out of his fear. With a trill of, "_Cyndaaa,"_ the little ball of fire leaped for the Rattata, catching it in midair. The Rattata landed on the ground, limping slightly. Cyndaquil stood between the wild Pokémon and Lyra, trying to grow threateningly, but to Lyra it sounded more like a series of adorable yips and yaps.

With another hiss, Rattata, weakened by Cyndaquil's attack, raised its claw, preparing to scratch Cyndaquil, but both of them were ready for it.

"Dodge it, Cyndaquil!" Lyra yelled. Cyndaquil obeyed, nimbly rolling to the side. "Now use tackle again," she commanded. Cyndaquil's fire burned while he ran for the Rattata. Tucking his head in, Cyndaquil charged and hit the Rattata square in its side.

The wild Rattata struggled to rise. It half-heartedly swiped at Cyndaquil before falling back into the grass. It must have realized defeat because it fled back into the grass as quick as it could. Cyndaquil carefully watched it crawl away, and the moment it was gone, he leaped with happiness at winning his very first battle.

"Amazing, Cyndaquil! You did it," Lyra squealed, picking up the little Pokémon and twirling him in the air. Cyndaquil giggled as Lyra hugged him. "You ready for more?"

Cyndaquil nodded earnestly as Lyra set him down. "_Cynda, cynda,_" Cyndaquil chirped. He took off into the tall grass, only more determined by his win. Lyra followed him, feeling her confidence grow with each step. She actually had a shot at facing down the Elite Four. It was impossibly sweet.

* * *

_The Dragon's Den – Blackthorn City_

"Who do you work for?" Clair demanded of the tied up grunt while Lance stood to the side, assessing the grunt from afar. He was obviously just a pawn for whoever was responsible for the break-in. It was impossible for an idiot like that to organize Team Rocket again, but there was still the persisting threat.

The grunt laughed like a drunk person. "We're unstoppable. Team Rocket will rise again."

Clair grabbed his collar. "Who sent you here?" she repeated in a deadly quiet voice.

"Barry, there you are!" somebody yelled, and Clair jumped, releasing the prisoner from her grasp while Lance absentmindedly reached for his first Poké ball. "You're supposed to be back in the room, not wandering around in the Den." He sweept across the cave and firmly grasped the grunt's arm.

"I'm sorry, but who are you?" Clair asked, thoroughly confused.

The man peered at her over thick, green-tinted glasses. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, but you see, my nephew is not in his right mind. We got him this costume for a party, and he hasn't taken it off since. Apologies for any inconvenience it might have caused you."

Clair looked ready to explode. "Are you kidding me!? That guy broke into the Dragon's Den and attempted to steal a Dratini. A Dratini!"

"That's enough, Clair!" a voice commanded, and Clair fell silent, though her eyes burned with anger. "You will hold your tongue."

The Elder stopped in front of the bespectacled man. "Please, remove your nephew from the Dragon's Den. As you can see, it is not the best place for him at the moment. We will press no charges unless he causes more disruption."

The man bowed low. "Thank you, kind sir, thank you very much. Come along, Barry."

After the two tottered out, Lance rounded on his grandfather. "How can you just let them go? You can't honestly –"

"Do not take me for a fool, boy," the Elder said. "I do not intend to let them go. You will follow him, but Clair and I must stay here. Not doing so will raise questions, questions we do not want asked. Do you understand, Lance? This is more than just a hooligan pulling a prank under the guise of Team Rocker, but next time the victims will not have two powerful trainers protecting them. You must make haste."

"Grandfather, let me go," Clair pleaded.

"No, Clair. We will remain here, and you, my dear, will send people on to Indigo Plateau as is your duty, " the Elder commanded, and Clair fell silent once again, though Lance could see that she was yearning to protest their grandfather's decision.

"As if any trainer could actually _beat _me," Clair huffed.

* * *

_Route 29_

Lyra was starting to get hungry. She hadn't eaten since breakfast, and it was now it was almost four o' clock. Cyndaquil had taken to munching on discarded berries, so he was not as eager to reach Cherrygrove as Lyra was. As Lyra walked, she kept reprimanding herself for passing up the little rest stops set up for trainers.

Finally Lyra saw the telltale lights of the town, and she hurried forward in the most straightforward path that didn't involve going through the tall grass where she knew more Pokémon lurked. Cherrygrove wasn't a big city like Goldenrod, but Lyra knew that like most towns, it had a Poké Center where she and Cyndaquil could rest and recover before setting off again for Mr. Pokémon's house.

"Hey, you!" a man's voice called, and Lyra turned to see an elderly man standing at the entrance who reminded Lyra of her grandfather. The old man hustled over to Lyra and stopped several feet away from her. Cyndaquil tilted his head, just as curious as Lyra was.

"Yes?" Lyra asked.

"I'm the Guide Gent," the Gent said, holding out his hand, which Lyra took. "Forgive me, but you have the air of a new trainer. Am I correct?"

Lyra nodded.

"Excellent! Well, it's only deserving for you to have a tour of this town," the Gent said, and he took of running. Surprised, Lyra looked down to Cyndaquil, but soon the Gent was walking back. "My apologies, miss. I get too excited for my own good. I'll make sure to wait for you."

Lyra decided not to point out that she could have easily outrun the old man and the only reason she hadn't followed straight away was that she was momentarily taken by surprise. Nevertheless, Lyra allowed the old man to show her the Poké Mart and Poké Center who redundantly explained their uses; Lyra didn't want to be rude and point out that Ethan had told her pretty much everything a trainer should know.

After ten minutes of walking around town and to the beach and back, Lyra was glad when it was finally over. The Gent teased her about giving her his very stinky, old shoes, but then he presented her a pair of brand-new running shoes. Lyra took them graciously, noting that they were a little roomy.

"Thank you," Lyra said, slipping on the new shoes. Cyndaquil sniffed them, possibly interested in the pink color. "That was very helpful."

The Gent waved his hand. "Oh, it was nothing, girlie. My pleasure. Before I forget, do you have a map?"

Lyra smacked her hand across her forehead. She had completely forgotten her map at home, but it was too late to get it now. New Bark Town was a full day away. "I must have forgotten it at home."

"Excellent!" the Gent said, but Lyra failed to see what was excellent about forgetting a map. "I have too many extras, and I've been hoping to find somebody to take them off my hand." He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a stack of maps. Handing one of them to her, he said, "Now this is a map of both Johto and Kanto."

"Thanks," Lyra said.

"Now why don't you go rest up in the Poké Center. They have the most delicious tacos."

* * *

_Indigo Plateau_

Lance watched on the screen in his private quarters as Will battled yet another trainer who had just made it to Indigo Plateau after the grueling journey through Victory Road. One of the perks of being Champion was that on the rare occasion trainers battled their way through to the League, usually Will defeated them quickly. However, Lance pitied Will for getting the trainers who thought they could beat him without getting all eight badges first. He doubted ninety percent of the challengers even tried to defeat Clair in Blackthorn.

However, his mind was focused on more pressing matters. Not one of the perks of being Champion was x-ray vision; somehow the Rocket knew they were being tailed and flew to the busiest cities in both Kanto and Johto. While they were just some more nameless people wandering Saffron City, Lance was instantly recognizable and had lost them soon after.

His prized Dragonite sat beside him, alternating between snoozing and absentmindedly playing with the hands on the alarm clock. Lance watched as the unknown trainer's last Pokémon, a Pidgeot, fell to Will's Xatu. Reese Gates and June Elm, two of the assistants employed at Indigo Plateau, moved onto the battle space to help the trainer's fainted Pokémon.

Lance turned to his Dragonite who was currently watching the screen with a very small amount of interest. "I think it's time for another search of Johto and Kanto. What do you say?"

Dragonite yawned pointedly as if to say, _I prefer to sleep._

"That's what I thought. Probably tomorrow then," Lance said.

Dragonite huffed, and Lance caught the _whatever._

* * *

_Cherrygrove City_

The Guide Gent had been quite right when he said that the tacos served at the Poké Center were sublime, not that there was much choice. Lyra had heard the the Poké Centers in the larger Cities like Ecruteak had more choices in their tiny dining area, but for now she settled for simple tacos while Cyndaquil, now fully rested and ready to continue their journey nibbled at some nuts.

Lyra studied her new map with interest. Mr. Pokémon's house was six hours away. If she left now, she could be there before ten. Cyndaquil, now finished with his snack, waddled over and curled up on Lyra's lap. She rubbed his ears. "We should probably leave now." Cyndaquil's ears perked up, and he scurried over to the sliding doors leading out of the Poké Center.

Lyra waved good-bye to Nurse Joy, thanked her, and ran out of the building to follow Cyndaquil. "You ready, Cyndaquil?" she asked to which Cyndaquil responded with a nod. He ran once more around her feet before Lyra picked him up and placed him on her shoulder. The heat Cyndaquil provided was comforting in the cool afternoon breeze.

To the west, Lyra could see the sea glittering as a small silhouette leaped across the water. She looked at Cyndaquil and said, "Someday we're going to explore this entire world, Cyndaquil, and we're going to do it as the Johto Champion." Cyndaquil trilled happily from his perch.

They continued north on Route 30 where Lyra was careful to keep to the paths whenever she could. Cyndaquil had won his very own battle, yes, but Lyra preferred to train him when there was a Poké Center nearby, especially since there were many Weedle on Route 30 that could poison him, so Lyra tried to avoid wild Pokémon whenever possible.

Unfortunately that wasn't always possible as Lyra found out early on. An hour into the path, she came across a Pidgey. Maybe the Pidgey was having a bad day, or maybe it just really wanted the berries that Lyra was occasionally feeding to Cyndaquil. Nevertheless, she squawked at them as soon as she saw them, rustling her feathers as if to challenge Lyra and Cyndaquil.

Cyndaquil hopped off Lyra's shoulder and tried to growl threateningly. The Pidgey just fluttered closer, and Cyndaquil quivered nervously.

Lyra glanced at her Pokémon. Earlier Cyndaquil had been itching to go continuing his success following the Rattata incident, but now he still seemed too timid to approach a different Pokémon that was fully awake and feeling very territorial.

She leaned down very close to Cyndaquil and said, "You can do this Cyndaquil; we're just going to keep using Tackle, alright?" Cyndaquil still was scared, but now his ears pricked up. Lyra gave him one more hug for luck. "Come on, Cyndy! Let's show this Pidgey who's boss!" Lyra said excitedly. Cyndaquil shook his head from side to side and fire flared from his back in agreement.

Lyra watched with apprehension as Cyndaquil tottered closer to the Pidgey who tossed her beak up.

"Cyndaquil, use Tackle!" Lyra cried, keeping her fingers crossed behind her back.

Cyndaquil obeyed. He ran straight for the Pidgey, leaping as high as he could before ramming into the wild Pidgey's side. Cyndaquil was dead accurate, and the Pidgey skidded back a little bit.

"Yay, Cyndaquil! You did terrific; let's do the same thing again," Lyra cheered. Cyndaquil skipped happily, very proud of himself before preparing for another round. Tossing his head, Cyndaquil ran forward to meet the Pidgey again, only this time the Pidgey had different ideas. Instead of turning, she flapped against the wind to meet Cyndaquil. Lyra realized too late what she was going to do. "Cyndaquil, dodge quickly," she yelled, digging her fingernails into her cheeks.

Cyndaquil tried to turn to the side, but he was too slow, and the Pidgey flew straight into him, hitting him squarely on the side. Cyndaquil went rolling until he stopped at Lyra's feet. Lyra quickly scooped him up while the Pidgey paced in front of them, eyeing Lyra as if she was next.

"Oh, Arceus! Are you okay, Cyndaquil?" Lyra asked, holding her Pokémon tightly.

"_Cynda, Cynda!_" he repeated before squirming hard enough for Lyra to place him on the ground again, eager to return to the battle to prove himself.

"Are you sure?" Lyra asked. Cyndaquil nodded stubbornly. "Fine, but Cyndaquil, let's try zigzagging from side to side to try to confuse the Pidgey."

Cyndaquil did what Lyra told him, running back and forth while the Pidgey just stood there, unsure of what they were doing. Suddenly out of nowhere, Cyndaquil tackled the Pidgey head on. The Pidgey let out a cry, and Lyra winced in sympathy. She landed on her back before hobbling unsteadily to her feet. Looking between the two of them, she ran off into the trees.

There was a moment of silence before Lyra yelled in her and Cyndaquil's triumph. "Woot, woot! You're the best, Cyndy," Lyra said, scooping Cyndaquil up and hugging him. "But let's get you back to the Poké Center before you faint from exhaustion."

**Hope you liked it. I'm going to be alternating some chapters between Lyra's, Lance's, and Silver's point of view, but the majority of the story will be with Lyra and Cyndaquil. So please leave me a review (flamers are not welcome) and let me know what you think.**

**WorldNerd12**


	3. Lyra's Rival

**Chapter 2: Lyra's Rival**

_Olivine City_

Lance's Dragonite had landed in the sand of the beach just outside of Olivine. There was a cool breeze blowing off of the water. Well, cool to most people, but having grown up in the northern city of Blackthorn which was always surrounded by icy mountains, the late afternoon was quite warm to Lance.

He turned to his Dragonite and said, "I'm sorry, but you're going to have to be in a Poké Ball, at least until we get to a more private space. You're just too recognizable." Lance hated confining his ever-faithful companion to the tiny little ball in his hand, but when stealth was required in a large city like Olivine, it was necessary.

The proud Pokémon, as expected, turned his nose up at that, huffing indignantly.

"I know, I know," Lance said placatory. "But it will be quick. I'll be in and out before you know it." Dragonite rolled his eyes at that before reluctantly disappearing in a flash of light. Lance carefully clipped the Poké Ball to his belt before setting off for the bright and cheerful city.

Since he didn't want to be as noticeable in this large city and scare off any Rocket grunts who were here, he had opted to leave his signature outfit complete with the cape back at Indigo Plateau, instead picking a black jacket and jeans with a cap pulled over his hair. Of course, there was no telling how much his little fan club would recognize him in such clothing. He would have to trust the hundreds of people to provide his camouflage.

Lance approached Jasmine's gym, the doors silently sliding open in front of him. When he had first challenged this gym six years ago, Jasmine had struck him as someone who could be a powerful ally against something like this, though he never really got how such a sweet and kind person dealt with the cold, hard Steel-types.

The gym had barely changed in the six years, though Jasmine's apprentice, Janina, was nowhere to be found. Lance mad his way to the back of the gym where Jasmine sat off to the side, her impressively large Steelix snoozing next to her. The expression on her face told him she thought he was just one of many challengers before she looked at him more closely.

"Lance?" Jasmine asked in her quiet voice. "Is that you?"

Lance smiled and said, "Who else would it be?"

"Oh, Lance! It's so good to see you, but why are you dressed like that?" Jasmine asked, assessing his clothes critically. "Whenever you're on the television, you're always dressed in that cape of yours."

Several trainers, Lance noticed, appeared very interested, and Lance asked, "Is there someplace private we could talk?" He could tell that piqued her interest, so Jasmine led him into one of the back rooms without any questions.

It was only when Jasmine closed the door that she inquired, "What's this about, Lance?" She took the armchair opposite him.

"I need to know if you've heard anything about Team Rocket recently. Olivine is a larger city, so I hoped you would have caught wind of anything from the sailors who come through here," Lance said, leaning forward.

Jasmine stared at her lap thoughtfully. "Um, I'm not sure about Team Rocket specifically, but some sailors at the Olivine Café have been talking about several spots of trouble in Goldenrod. Whitney might be able to help you. I mean, you know how big that city is. But other than that, no. I'm sorry I can't be more help."

Lance waved his hand at his old friend. "You've given me a lead, Jasmine. That's all I need."

Jasmine was still worried. "Why are you asking this, Lance. Team Rocket was disbanded several years ago. We all made sure of that."

Lance hesitated. So far only the Dragon Tamers knew anything, and Lance preferred to keep it that way. However, Jasmine could be trusted with just about anything. After all, she was the one he had come to Phoebe, one of the members of the Elite Four in Hoenn, had broke it off with him.

"Some people broke into the Dragon's Den last week and tried to steal a Dratini. Clair caught them."

"I bet they regretted that part," Jasmine laughed.

Lance smiled at the memory of how Clair had gone completely berserk when she first caught them. "Grandfather could barely keep her from ordering her Dragonair to use Hyper Beam on them. But will you at least keep a look out. Grandfather forbade Clair from going with me. He doesn't want anybody to worry unnecessarily."

"Anything for you, Lance. And don't worry; you're secret's safe with me," Jasmine said. She got up out of her chair, and Lance followed suite. "But at least come to lunch with Jayson and me. It's been so long since we've seen you."

"Anything for you," Lance echoed.

* * *

_Cherrygrove City_

After the Pidgey had attacked them. Lyra had decided to spend the night at the tiny motel in Cherrygrove before she took Cyndaquil back out to Route 29 to train more before heading up to Mr. Pokémon's house. Yes, it would be an extra day before she was able to get back to Elm's lab, but he knew her too well to think she wouldn't spend time with Cyndaquil, so she wasn't too worried about his reaction. Thank Arceus her mother had thought ahead and given an extra pair of clothes, though Lyra still kept her white hat that had been a birthday present from her late stepfather, Alonzo.

It seemed impossible in just six hours Cyndaquil had already gotten so much better. Before they had barely been able to defeat a Pidgey and a Rattata, but now Cyndaquil couple withstand several attacks one after the other. The Pokémon Center was always five minutes away, but Lyra became less and less dependent on it.

"You're just improving so much, Cyndaquil," Lyra squealed happily as Cyndaquil battled back the tenth Rattata they had come across. "You think we're ready to head back up to Mr. Pokémon's house?" Cyndaquil nodded very enthusiastically. Lyra giggled and said, "What was I thinking? Of course you are. We'll just get some food and rest up at the Pokémon Center before heading off."

They did exactly that, though this time instead of the tacos, Lyra got a hamburger and shared the fries with Cyndaquil who gobbled them right up. It was amazing how such a tiny Pokémon could eat so much. She didn't want to know how much he would eat if he ever evolved.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't New Bark's very own Lyra Soul," a voice said, and Lyra looked up to see a tall girl with a blond braid slung over her left shoulder.

"Hello, Yvonne," Lyra said in a bland voice. "Where's Georgia?"

Though she knew that Cherrygrove was the closest to New Bark Town, she had hoped that she wouldn't run into Yvonne Malley, the girl who had bullied her and Ethan mercilessly, so soon. Yvonne's parents had given her and her sister Georgia each a Snubbull after their tenth birthday two years ago to start their own Pokémon careers in Johto. Georgia, the more tolerable (but still stuck-up, mean, and obnoxious) of the sisters had said something about tracking down the current Champion, Lance of Blackthorn City, in order to train with him, but Lyra had no idea she was actually following through on that insane notion. The only reason Yvonne hadn't gone as well was that she wanted to get better Pokémon, so she could impress the Champion if she ever met him.

Yvonne leaned forward to pick off a french fry from Lyra's plate. "Didn't you know? She's taking classes in Goldenrod, Lee-Lee, since there weren't any spots open at Indigo Plateau," she said, using Lyra's hated nickname. "Georgia thought it would be better to hang out in a larger cities if she's going to meet Lance."

"And of course, if she ever does, you'll just take a train to Goldenrod so you can meet him as well," Lyra finished in a dull tone. "In the meantime you're just hanging out here and training. Lucky me."

Yvonne gave her a conniving smile. "Precisely, Lee-Lee – what is that thing anyways? A mutated Caterpie?"

Lyra scowled and held Cyndaquil, who was snoozing gently in her lap, protectively against her chest. "His name is Cyndaquil, and leave him alone. He never did anything to you."

Cyndaquil stirred at the sound of his name. Stretching, he sniffed the air and looked at Yvonne. He yipped once as if to ask Lyra who the new person was.

Yvonne snorted. "Fine, Cyndaquil. You poor dear. I will never get how you even came up with the illusion that someday Lance will let you and your pathetic little mutated Caterpie take the title of Champion. Reality check, sweetie: you'll be lucky to even get _one_ badge."

Lyra could feel her temper – and she never had much of one anyways – start to rise. She stood up, and Cyndaquil was wisely quiet, sensing the hostility. "His _name _is Cyndaquil, and the Champion isn't going _let _me win anything. I'm going to beat him, just you wait."

She stalked off, but not before Yvonne said, "Then I suppose I'll have to wait until the world ends, Lee-Lee."

* * *

_Goldenrod City_

Dragonite had flown Lance as close to Goldenrod as he could without being spotted. Though he still wasn't happy at not being able to explore Olivine's annual Fish Fry, he had consented to fly Lance to Goldenrod as long as he got a feast when they returned to Indigo Plateau. Lance agreed.

After recalling Dragonite to his Poké Ball, Lance headed to the heart of Johto. He had made sure to visit as many places as he could to gain the extra training before taking on the original Elite Four, and Goldenrod was certainly the most impressive in terms of size, though he wasn't as sure if it was his favorite. It was just too stereotypical to him.

Lance made his way to where the gym stood. The leader he had faced six years ago had been Whitney's grandmother, but she had since retired, leaving Whitney in charge of the Goldenrod Gym. Though young and at times annoying, she was the best person to confirm or deny the rumors that Jasmine had heard concerning Goldenrod and Team Rocket.

He was just about to enter when a short, bald guy interrupted him. "We're sorry, sir, but Leader Whitney is currently preoccupied, and only current trainers from the gym are allowed in. Please, come back later," a man blocking the door said.

"I need to talk to her."

"Leader Whitney is not here. She is preoccupied with other things right now. Good-bye."

"This is urgent," Lance said. He didn't care if he was interrupting Whitney's massage or whatever she did in her free time. "Where can I find her?"

"She is preoccupied," the man repeated. "Where she goes is her business. Have a good day, sir."

Lance was starting to get really annoyed now. He had not flown over the region all week just to be stopped by some bouncer. "This is serious. Everybody with half a brain knows that if the Champion is dropping by unexpectedly on Gym Leaders that something bad is going on. Now I suggest you tell me where she is this instant."

The man's eyes widened as if he only just realized who Lance was. "At the Radio Tower," he said quickly.

"Thank you," Lance said, running for the very noticeable landmark in the middle of Goldenrod. Was he really that unnoticeable without his cape?

* * *

_Route 30_

Lyra angrily kicked at the grass, wishing what she had told Yvonne was true. However, she knew she was only just borrowing Cyndaquil. She didn't have any Poké Balls, and Cyndaquil was Professor Elm's Pokémon to begin with. Her earlier dreams of beating the Elite Four and the currently reigning Champion were suddenly squashed by reality.

What had she been thinking? Her little adventure was going to end the moment she returned to New Bark Town. Sure, Lyra might be able to visit Cyndaquil at the lab, but it was inevitable Elm would eventually give him to an older and more experienced trainer, probably one who attended the Pokémon Academy in Violet City.

Cyndaquil nudged the highest point he could reach (Lyra's shin) to get her attention. Despite only having him for a day, they had already developed something of a bond, and Cyndaquil could tell something was bothering her.

"_Cyndaaa,_" Cyndaquil whined.

Lyra just shook her head. "Don't worry about it, Cyndaquil. I was just thinking."

Cyndaquil tottered around Lyra while she headed north. Several times Cyndaquil defeated wild Pokémon who interrupted them, and after another Rattata had fainted, Cyndaquil started releasing puffs of black smoke from his mouth. At first Lyra was worried that something was wrong until she realized that Cyndaquil was trying to aim it at several trees they passed.

"Oh, Cyndaquil! Are you trying to learn a new move?" Lyra asked.

"_Cynda, Cynda,_" Cyndaquil chirped.

Lyra racked her brains. Though she had never been enrolled at a proper academy, Ethan had still taught her many things that he himself had gotten from Elm's many books. If she had to guess what Cyndaquil was trying to get, it would be Smokescreen. Of course, Ethan probably knew exactly what it was.

Lyra bent down and examined Cyndaquil. "I think that's Smokescreen that you're trying to learn," she said, more to herself than Cyndaquil. "Let's go practice that more before we reach Mr. Pokémon's house."

* * *

_Goldenrod City_

Lance hated girls. Well, not exactly. It was more that he hated the overly giggly girls who traveled in packs and would point at any guy who was unfortunate enough to be near them. His fan club was bad enough with sending love letters every day to Indigo Plateau; Bruno loved to get his hands on Lance's unopened fan mail and read it aloud to anybody who would listen, much to Lance's constant horror.

He also hated it when those girls were in an enclosed space with him, which, at the moment, they were. Lance had avoided any unwanted attention well enough, but they were still annoying. He had sent a young woman he recognized as Whitney's apprentice to fetch her from wherever the Gym Leader was and sat down at a table as far away from the band of hyperactive ladies as he could get.

Unluckily, one of the girls had broken off from the main group to take a phone call, and she sat at the table right next to his.

"What do you mean you saw Lyra in Cherrygrove City? Didn't her mother forbid her from going anywhere without a Pokémon? That's what I overheard Ethan telling his mother." The girl had a high, reedy voice. "What! Professor Elm _gave _her a Pokémon? Of all the people in New Bark Town, why her?"

The words stirred something in Lance's memory. He had visited New Bark Town on his way to the Indigo League five years ago. Professor Elm had been kind enough to let him stay in his lab due to the lack of a motel while his prized Dragonite made two new friends who were no older than eight. One had been a boy named Ethan and the other was a girl named Lyra.

If he remembered correctly, the two children he and Dragonite had met would now be only a little older than he had been when his parents let him leave the Dragon's Den to go participate in the Indigo League. It would make sense Elm wanted to let them start their own journey if they wanted to.

That is if it was the same Lyra and Ethan that Dragonite had played Moosie, Moosie with, though Lance was pretty sure of it. New Bark Town was the tiniest and most secluded town Lance had ever been to; Elm's lab doubled as the Pokémon Center. There had been no more than twenty people who lived in New Bark Town.

"Arceus, I can't believe he gave her the baby Cyndaquil. That's the cutest one! Well, besides Chikorita, but _I _was going to get that Pokémon. And she thinks she's going to become the Champion. Ha! Like she could ever beat Lance and the Elite Four. If people who've lived next to her for twelve years can tell she's just a pathetic little loser, then _Lee-Lee _should just shut up and listen."

"Georgia! Aren't you going to join us?" another girl with blonde pigtails yelled across the room.

"Coming," Georgia yelled back. "See you soon, Yvonne."

Whether or not Lyra was the same girl who had played with Dragonite, Lance pitied her for living next to that girl Georgia for twelve years. But he was also curious. He always liked to meet potential challengers, though it could be that the rookie trainer wouldn't become strong enough to face the Gym Leaders in Johto, let alone make it to the Elite Four.

His thoughts were interrupted when Whitney plopped down in the seat in front of him. "I can't believe it's you, Lance!" Whitney squealed in excitement. "You look so cute right now!"

Lance sighed. "Hello, Whitney. How are you doing?"

"Oh, just fantastic," Whitney said. "What about you? How is the handsome and mysterious Lance managing all by his lonesome? Is he in need of a girlfriend?" Whitney winked and him, and Lance was so used to her flirting by now that he didn't even roll his eyes. Besides, he knew that the person she was really interested in was Morty, the Leader in Ecruteak City.

"I'm fine, and no, I'm not desperate for a girlfriend right now."

"That's right. Didn't Phoebe dump you or something?"

Lance frowned. "She didn't _dump _me. It was a mutual decision after-"

"Lance, honey-pie, she dumped you," Whitney said quite bluntly. "It was all anybody could talk about for an entire month."

"Whitney, I did not come here to have you examine my past relationships," Lance said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I came here to ask you about Team Rocket."

At those two words, Whitney's attitude changed instantly. "Oh." She bit her lip, and Lance then knew that Jasmine's rumors were true. "That," she said.

"That," Lance agreed.

* * *

_Route 30_

Four hours had passed since Lyra and Cyndaquil had left Cherrygrove City, and Cyndaquil had finally mastered Smokescreen. He was now able to aim accurately up to twenty feet, and his Tackle was getting better all the time. Cyndaquil had decided to switch between riding on Lyra's shoulder and walking next to her. Right now he was curled up on the top of her head.

A house came into view as Lyra came out of the tall grass. It was small with an Apricorn tree several yards to the left. Lyra double-checked her Pokégear. It was only one o'clock. She and Cyndaquil shouldn't reach Mr. Pokémon's house for another two hours, but that didn't stop the house from being any less real.

Lyra shifted her gaze up to where Cyndaquil was perched. "What do you think, Cyndaquil? Should we knock?"

Cyndaquil trilled in agreement, so Lyra approached the door. She knocked, and a middle-aged man appeared in the door. Lyra hoped this was Mr. Pokémon; her legs were starting to get tired from walking.

"Hello," the man said in a sad voice. "I suppose you were looking for Mr. Pokémon's house just like everybody else."

Hearing the gloomy man speak, Lyra didn't have the heart to tell him that she actually did think this was Mr. Pokémon's house. "No, no, I was … looking for you actually."

The fact that they had never actually met didn't faze the man the slightest. "Oh, how kind of you! I guess people told you to come to me if you ever had any questions about Apricorns. They must have. Don't you see how well I take care of my plants?" he said, gesturing to the flowerbeds and the Apricorn tree. "Do you have an Apricorn box of your own?"

"Um, no," Lyra said slowly. Holy Mew, this man must have been starved for company.

"Oh, hold up!" the man said, and he ran back into his house.

Lyra glanced up at Cyndaquil in confusion. "_Cynda_," Cyndaquil squeaked, shrugging, and Lyra decided that waiting to see if he had anything good wouldn't hurt as long as it didn't take to long. After all, she wouldn't turn down free stuff, provided it _was_ free.

The man appeared again, this time holding a little box. "Here we are. I knew I had an extra one around the kitchen somewhere. Even cleaned it too. Just a little present for coming to visit me and my lonesome: your very own Apricorn box."

Lyra took it. "Thank you, sir."

"No, no! Thank you," the man said cheerfully. "It was getting very sad and lonely." He eyed Cyndaquil. "So are you going to take on the Pokémon League? You're ten then?"

Lyra shook her head. "I had my twelfth birthday day before yesterday. I, uh, had a bit of a late start," she said.

"Nothing wrong with that. Hey, maybe I'll see you on television someday competing in a Pokémon Contest. Then I can say, 'I know her. She came to visit me.' Am I right?"

"Well, my long-term plan was to eventually battle against the Elite Four and Champion after defeating the Gym Leaders," Lyra said.

"Even better," the man said, closing the door. "Good luck to you and your little Cyndaquil!"

* * *

_Blackthorn City Gym_

Clair watched triumphantly as the challenger's last Pokémon, a Fearow, fell before her Gyarados. Despite the fact that Will still saw many challengers, she knew that they all had used the loophole and gone to fight one of Kanto's weaker Leaders. After all, she was Clair, one of the strongest Dragon Masters in the world. Well, technically she wasn't a Dragon Master _yet_, but it was only a matter of time before she finally passed her grandfather's test.

"Yes! I won again," Clair cheered. "Great job, Gyarados. Come back."

The trainer sadly recalled her Fearow. "You gave it a great effort, Fearow. We'll try again next time."

"Good luck with that," Clair said rather haughtily. "I can hold my own against the Elite Four themselves. You'll have more luck against Erika or somebody."

The trainer glared at her. "If you're so good, then why aren't you the Champion instead of Lance the Dragon Master?"

Evidently Clair had been gloating a bit too much, and the trainer didn't like that she was rubbing it in. "Hey, you're the one who lost, whatever-your-name-is. Besides-"

"Clair, enough! Let the trainer go rest her Pokémon with Nurse Joy."

Her grandfather had arrived on the scene, and Clair could tell that her little victory dance did not earn her any brownie points. She stood still with her hands at her side. "I am sorry, Grandfather. It's just-"

"It's just that you are a vain girl, Clair. Being Gym Leader does not excuse you from such behavior. You are supposed to represent the Dragon Clan and Blackthorn City, not stain our name with arrogance, girl," the Elder said harshly.

Clair felt her face burn with humiliation. The trainer she had just beat looked between the two of them before saying, "I think I'll go now." When neither Clair nor the Elder responded, the trainer hurried out of the Gym with her fainted Pokémon clutched tightly in her hand.

"Now go to the Dragon Den. Lance is going to contact us soon for information on the hunt for Team Rocket."

"Yes, Grandfather," Clair responded meekly, eager to get out of the Gym as fast as possible.

She hated it when she was faced with her grandfather's wrath. It had happened plenty of times in the past when she and Lance were younger. With no siblings of her own, her cousin had been her closest friend growing up, which meant they had both been on the receiving end of several unpleasant guilt trips when they got into trouble. Clair had hoped that would stop once she proved her worth to become Gym Leader and Lance had gone so far as to become a member of the Elite Four and eventually Champion.

Eventually Clair made her way back to the Dragon Shrine, a place she could be sure nobody would eavesdrop. The Elders were all there, sitting around a screen with Lance's face on it. He was talking softly even though Clair could hear city noises in the background.

"... Whitney hadn't been able to pinpoint where the Slowpoke tails were being sold. Wherever people are getting them, they won't fess up. I thought maybe the Goldenrod Tunnel, but whenever I get close, people just seem to disappear." Lance suddenly spotted Clair standing behind the Elders. "Hey, Clair."

Clair waved back. "So no Rocket then," she said sadly.

"Not that I can find."

"That sucks. I was hoping to kick some Team Rocket ass … assistants," she quickly remedied, noticing that her grandfather didn't seem to happy at her choice of words.

"That is all we need to know right now, Lance. When you have something new, contact one of the Elders. We will decide the best course." One by one the Elders rose and left until only Clair stood next to the screen.

"What?" Clair said defensively when she noticed Lance smirking at her. "Got a problem?"

"No," Lance said, still grinning. "I was just wondering what happened between you and Grandfather."

Clair's face heated up. "He just saw me after I beat another challenger. That's it."

"Ah, that _would _put him in a grouchy mood. Well, let me know when you're done kicking some Team Rocket _assistants_."

"Shut it," Clair snapped, turning the off the screen before Lance could laugh at her more.

* * *

_Route 30_

"We should be almost there, Cyndaquil," Lyra said soothingly to the little fire Pokémon resting on her shoulder. "You've done such a good job so far."

"_Cynda_," Cyndaquil said. The continuous walking and battling had taken a toll on them both. Cyndaquil had done great against the wild Pokémon who had intercepted them, either knocking them out with a combination of Tackle and Smokescreen or just scaring them away, but Lyra was desperate to reach Mr. Pokémon's house, a sentiment she knew that Cyndaquil shared as well.

Finally, a house emerged, and Lyra knew that this had to be Mr. Pokémon. It was at the end of the path, and she knew that Cyndaquil would collapse from exhaustion if it wasn't. "This is it, Cyndaquil. We're finally here." Lyra went right up to the door and knocked louder than was needed.

The door swung open, revealing an older man grinning from ear to ear. "Ah, you must be Lyra Kotone. Professor Elm told us that you were coming in his stead."

The moment he said Lyra's last name, she knew that Professor Elm had skimmed over the details and emailed him a older picture with her name. Kotone was he father's surname, and Lyra hadn't used it since he left her mother; instead Lyra adopted her mother's maiden name, Soul, when her mother had also taken it back. However, she had been unable to remove Kotone from her birth certificate or old pictures.

"Just Lyra," she said, squeezing past when Mr. Pokémon motioned for her to enter.

"And I'm just Mr. Pokémon," Mr. Pokémon said, unaware that he had struck a nerve. "And this is just Professor Oak."

Lyra's jaw dropped. She had completely missed the person sitting next to the desk. A middle-aged man with gray hair and a white lab coat, Lyra knew immediately this was the famous Professor Oak, the person who had started Red and Blue on their own journeys all those years ago. Lyra was sorely tempted to ask if Professor Oak could put her in touch with Red for some pointers. After all, he was the trainer who took down the infamous Team Rocket.

"Anyways," Mr. Pokémon said, producing a white egg dotted with blue and red spots. He held it out to Lyra who took it carefully. Cyndaquil sniffed it from his spot on her shoulder. "This is what I need Professor Elm to take a look at. If anyone can figure out what kind of Pokémon it is, it would be him."

"After all," Professor Oak said, getting up and finally entering the conversation. "He is the leading expert on Pokémon evolution. So you must be Lyra. I was just over here when Mr. Pokémon told me that Elm had already sent somebody to collect the egg. And I see that you have quite a rare Pokémon as well. Hello there."

"_Cynda_," Cyndaquil questioned, glancing at Lyra when Professor Oak approached Cyndaquil closer.

"It's alright, Cyndaquil. He's a friend," Lyra reassured her companion.

"Even though you've only had Cyndaquil for a short time, I can see that you're treating him with much love and care," Professor Oak observed. "That's good. Every great trainer you've heard of, most of them saw Pokémon as friends and companions rather than tools."

Lyra and Cyndaquil glanced at each other, smiling inside. That was exactly how Lyra felt about her Pokémon.

"Now you seem like the dependable sort," Professor Oak said while Lyra carefully slipped the egg into her bag. "I was wondering if you could help me out with something. You see, I have recently created the newest version of the Pokédex, but my duties as a professor keep me from searching for all of the Pokémon. Would you be willing to take this with you?"

Professor Oak held out a light pink box that looked rather expensive. Lyra took it with trembling hands.

"Are you sure, Professor? I mean, I'm only borrowing Cyndaquil for this trip; I have to give him back to Professor Elm after I'm done," Lyra said while Cyndaquil nodded mournfully on her shoulder.

Professor Oak casually waved his hand. "Whether or not you're allowed to keep Cyndaquil is unimportant. You've already shown that you can love any Pokémon you may have. Should you start competing in Pokémon Contests or try to participate in the Pokémon League, I want you to have this. Now, I should get going for my talk show in Goldenrod. I'm already late. Good-bye, Lyra. I'll probably see you soon." He left before Lyra could even say thank you.

Mr. Pokémon looked at Lyra and Cyndaquil. "You two look dead on your feet. Feel free to rest on my couch before you leave."

Lyra didn't need telling twice. She plopped down on the sofa while Cyndaquil curled up on the armrest.

* * *

"How did it go?" Karen asked as Lance made his way to his quarters inside the Indigo Plateau. "Will said he sensed that you failed before he went off to meditate on a new trainer he thinks might succeed Agatha as an Elite."

"Then go tell Will that he'll sense a lot more than that if he can't learn to keep his mouth shut," Lance snapped. He knew it was unfair to take his frustration out on Will and Karen, but after all the dead ends, Lance just needed _someone _to vent on.

"Easy now, Lance. We're only trying to help," Karen said calmly. "Besides, it's not like Will spurted off everything off to the press."

Lance sighed. "I know. Can you tell Will I'm sorry?" he asked as he went to open the door to his room.

"Tell him yourself," Karen said, smiling as if she was in on some kind of joke.

Lance didn't have to wait long to find out what she meant. When he opened the door to his private suite, there was no quiet couch to relax on with nobody around to bother him. Instead he walked in on a full-fledged argument between Bruno and the television while Will sat next to him whispering things under his breath. The only member of the Elite Four who was not present was Agatha, who as resting up after she had taken a tumble down the stairs several weeks ago and broke her leg.

"Come on, you little runt! That's the best you can do? You're not at all strong enough to be training a Hitmonlee," Bruno screamed at some trainer who was on television.

"What are you doing?" Lance demanded, annoyed that yet again Bruno and Will have taken over his living room.

"Nice to see you, Dragon Boy. There's a Pokémon match going on in Goldenrod City right now, and one of the trainers is a complete idiot," Bruno explained.

"No, I mean what are you two doing_ in_ _my room_?" Lance repeated.

Will glanced around Bruno and piped up, "We actually have a very legitimate excuse."

"Don't tell me. My television is the best," Lance said warily. That was the excuse those two always came up with the most. It was either that or they told him there was a glare across the television screen. At their guilty expressions, Lance didn't need to push the question any further. "Don't you have anything better to do than watch TV?"

"We were looking at potential candidates to fill Agatha's spot next month," Will supplied helpfully.

"And?" Lance asked.

"Bruno thinks that Clair should get it, but Karen and I want Koga from Fuchsia City as our newest member."

"Clair's got that fighting spirit. I like her," Bruno grumbled. "Besides, she's your cousin, right?"

Lance bit his lip. Yes, Clair was his cousin, and he loved her dearly, but she simply wasn't ready to be a member of the Elite Four. "She has a hard enough time accepting defeat from me. When Karen beat her, she threw a raging fit for hours. Let Clair stay at the Gym. Koga's a better fit."

Bruno whistled. "Low blow, Dragon Boy. Want me to tell Clair you said that?"

Lance glared at him. "Not one word, Bruno."

* * *

_Route 30_

The sun was setting when Lyra woke up next. Cyndaquil was still snoozing close to her head, and it took her a moment to realize that it was the heat that woke her up. Wiping off the thin layer of sweat that had appeared on her forehead, Lyra stood up and made her way to the kitchen where Mr. Pokémon was sitting.

"Ah, just in time for dinner. Have a bite before you leave," he said kindly, pushing a bowl of piping hot chili toward Lyra. "I have some for your dear Cyndaquil too." As if on queue, Cyndaquil tottered into the room and scurried up so he was sitting on the table.

"Thank you," Lyra said, taking her spoon and tasting it. It was delicious. "I was wondering what you knew about the nearest Gym Leader."

Mr. Pokémon swallowed and looked thoughtful. "Hmm. Falkner's the closest Leader; he specializes in Flying types. If you defeat him, most people would go on to either Goldenrod or Ecruteak. However, I would suggest heading south to Azalea Town …"

Mr. Pokémon continued to talk about the different Gyms dotted throughout Johto, everything from types specialties to their hometowns. Beside Lyra, Cyndaquil was listening intently as well, and before Lyra knew it, she reached the bottom of her bowl with a clatter of her spoon.

"… you should save Clair for last, though. Without a doubt she is the toughest. A member of the Dragon Clan from Blackthorn City as a matter of fact –"

_Ring! Ring!_

It took a moment for Lyra to realize that it was her Pokégear that was ringing.

"Hello?" Lyra spoke into the Pokégear.

"Lyra?" Professor Elm's terrified voice responded. "Oh, Lyra! It's a complete disaster. Please, come as quickly as you can. Something terrible has happened at the lab. It's just – you have to come."

With that, Professor Elm hung up. Lyra glanced at Mr. Pokémon who was watching her intently. "That was Professor Elm. There's an emergency at the Pokémon lab, and he wants me back immediately."

"Did he say what?" Mr. Pokémon asked. When Lyra shook her head, he added, "I can give you a ride as far as Cherrygrove City. Come on, dear, I'll just get my keys."

An hour later, Mr. Pokémon's car zoomed into Cherrygrove City with Lyra in the passenger seat. "This is where I leave you, Lyra. If you run, you can make it faster." With that, he sped away, leaving Lyra standing alone on the edge of the city.

"Can you run, Cyndaquil, or do you want to go back into your Poké Ball?" Lyra asked him. Cyndaquil tossed his head from side to side. "Alright, Cyndy."

She took off sprinting with Cyndaquil right by her side. Worry gnawed at her. What possibly could have been so bad that Professor Elm didn't –

_Wham!_

Lyra had been so preoccupied with Professor Elm's problem that she wasn't even paying attention to where she was going. In her haste, she had slammed right into some poor boy, and he stumbled backwards from the force while Lyra nearly toppled over.

"I am _so _sorry that I – you!" Lyra cried, pointing at the person. He wasn't just a random inhabitant of Cherrygrove, but he was in fact the very same person she had seen looking in the window of Professor Elm's lab.

The boy stood up taller and growled, "Watch where you're going next time, you little shrimp. Why are you always in other people's way? Don't you know not to mess with the adults?"

"You're hardly an adult," Lyra snapped angrily. "And I wasn't the only one who wasn't paying attention."

The boy was going to respond, probably something very nasty, before he spotted Cyndaquil who was hiding behind Lyra's ankles. He smirked. "That professor gave you a Pokémon? What a waste, giving that thing to a wimp like you. Bet it is just as weak and pathetic as you are."

"Don't talk to Cyndaquil like that!" Lyra yelled. "You leave him alone."

She clenched her fists in anger. Whenever she and Ethan had gotten into fights with Yvonne and Georgia, there was always that familiarity there, no matter how much they hated each other, that comforted Lyra. With this boy, however, there was nothing. Lyra didn't have a clue who he was or where he came from.

"It's too bad that your little bubble's going to be burst by me. Totodile, get them!" the boy yelled, throwing a Poké Ball into the air. There was a flash of light, and Totodile appeared. Lyra recognized the little blue Pokémon as the one who had bitten her before she chose Cyndaquil.

Lyra glanced at her own Pokémon. She had never battled another trainer before. "You up for it, Cyndaquil?" she asked.

"_Cynda!_" Cyndaquil trilled, as if determined to show the boy that he wasn't weak.

"Alright, Cyndaquil, go get him," Lyra said.

The boy smirked. "Totodile, use Scratch." Totodile started running for Cyndaquil who was standing between Totodile and Lyra, the fire on his back blazing furiously.

"Cyndaquil, quick! Dodge it just like that Pidgey's attack," Lyra commanded. Cyndaquil agilely danced to the side while Totodile sailed past harmlessly. "Awesome job, Cyndy."

"What are you doing, Totodile! Don't just lunge blindly, you idiot! How about you actually hit him this time," the boy screamed at his Pokémon, and Lyra wanted so badly to tell him to shut up and to treat his Pokémon better.

"_Toto_," Totodile said, and he prepared for another round.

"Cyndaquil, use Smokescreen then Ember before he reaches you," Lyra said while the boy just laughed cruelly.

"What are you thinking? Fire isn't very good against a Pokémon like Totodile. Totodile, use Scratch again."

"_Totodile!_" Totodile yelled out, and he lunged at Cyndaquil who let out a small cloud of smoke. Totodile swatted at the smoke as if to make it disappear, but Cyndaquil blew a ball of fire at him, stinging him on the side of his face. That just served to enrage Totodile more.

"Excellent job, Cyndaquil. Now use Tackle while he's distracted," Lyra said, and Cyndaquil obeyed, executing his next move flawlessly. He rammed into Totodile's side, sending him flying back to his sorry excuse of a trainer.

"Come on, you stupid thing, Get up! _Up!_" the boy yelled while Totodile struggled to get to his feet.

Lyra, however, had other plans. "Do the same thing, Cyndaquil, only use Tackle right after Smokescreen." Cyndaquil ran across the ground on all fours, aiming the smoke directly at Totodile. He then jumped and –

"Totodile, do something right for once and use Scratch again."

Totodile seemed determined to avoid his trainer's anger, so he ran to meet Cyndaquil this time, completely ignoring Cyndaquil's Smokescreen. He swiped at Cyndaquil's side. Lyra and Cyndaquil yelped at the same time. Limping a little, Cyndaquil turned around to face Totodile again. At least Totodile was also tired.

"You can finish this Cyndy. Don't bother with dodging this time; just give Totodile one more good tackle," Lyra encouraged.

"_Cynda!_" Cyndaquil squeaked, jumping as high as he could into the air before landing a yard in front of Totodile. He jumped again, only this time he jumped forward and sent Totodile flying.

"_To … to,_" Totodile whined once he smacked into the ground. He struggled to get back up again, but despite the look of fury on the boy's face, he couldn't.

"Fine, you useless thing. Return," the boy spat. He looked back up at Lyra and Cyndaquil. "Are you happy you won, you little shrimp? It doesn't matter. I'm still going to crush you; I'm going to become the strongest trainer in the whole world, just you wait."

The boy purposefully bumped into Lyra when he passed her, sending Lyra stumbling a bit. Cyndaquil growled in Lyra's defense, but the boy simply ignored him.

When the boy was a little farther away, Lyra noticed a small card lying on the ground. "What's this, Cyndaquil?" Lyra asked, picking it up and flipping it over. On one side was a signature, and on the other was a picture of the boy she had just faced. Still talking to Cyndaquil, she said, "This says that his name is Silver –"

"Hey, give it back!" Silver had apparently come running back the moment he noticed his Trainer Card was missing. He snatched the card right from her hands. "You didn't see – oh, no! You saw my name." He ran off before Lyra could ask him anything else.

Confused, she looked to Cyndaquil. "Do you understand him, Cyndy?" When Cyndaquil shook his head, Lyra continued, "I didn't think so. You're probably tired from the battle, so you can stay in your Poké Ball until we reach New Bark Town, okay? We should get there soon, or else Professor Elm will wonder what happened to us."

**Before you ask, this is NOT a Lance/Jasmine story. I just liked the idea of exploring a little more of Lance's (admittedly completely made-up) life before he loses the title of Champion to Lyra.**

**I really hope you liked this chapter enough to read the other chapters whenever I manage to get them up, and of course to review. PLEASE! **

**Special shout-out to AquilaTempestas for leaving the first review to this story. YOU'RE AWESOME!**

**WorldNerd12**


	4. Accepting the Challenge

**Chapter 3: Accepting the Challenge**

_New Bark Town_

"Oh, Lyra. Thank Lugia that you're here," Professor Elm said when Lyra entered the lab. "It's just terrible."

Lyra looked around at the men and women in police uniforms taking pictures and talking to several New Bark residents while writing in little notepads. Up ahead, the contraption that had previously held Cyndaquil's Poké Ball had a large, jagged hole in the glass, just large enough for a hand to get through. With the flashing cameras and broken glass, it looked just like Lyra expected a crime screen to look.

"What's going on, Professor?" Lyra asked, carefully stepping around a vial that had fallen off of a shelf and broke. "What's this about?"

"We're investigating a Pokénapping," the policewoman who had been questioning Professor Elm explained in an authoritative voice. "We think the thief knew what he or she had been looking for beforehand. It's quite common for a thief to return to the scene of the crime, so that must mean ..." The woman's eyes narrowed. Apparently she had just reached a conclusion, and judging by the look that Lyra was receiving, it was completely inaccurate. "I think you better come with me for questioning, ma'am."

Lyra was just about to protest, but luckily a distraction arrived in the form of her best friend. Ethan jumped up and down like a maniac to get the policewoman's attention. "Hold up!" he yelled, skidding to a stop in front of them. "Wait. It wasn't Lyra. I saw a red-haired boy get out through the window with a Poké Ball in hand. It had to be him. Lyra had nothing to do with it," Ethan gasped, bending down to catch his breath.

"Hang on," Lyra said while the woman furiously scribbled in her notebook. "I battled a boy like that just outside of Cherrygrove. He had a Totodile with him."

"Did you happen to get his name?" she asked.

"Silver," Lyra supplied helpfully, thankful that the blame was now off of her.

"Silver …" She was obviously expecting a last name as well, but Lyra didn't know.

"Just Silver. That was all I could read before he took back his card," Lyra said.

The woman jotted a couple more words in her notebook before closing it with a snap. "Well, that will be all for now. Excuse me," she said, heading over to where a colleague had apparently found an exciting piece of evidence.

It took a while for the police to finish up. Lyra decided it would be better to stay with Professor Elm and Ethan, lest she be subjected to more interrogation by suspicious cops. Thankfully, the police were too busy to notice the trio standing in the back, so when everybody finally left, Lyra turned back to Professor Elm and Ethan after letting Cyndaquil out of his Poké Ball. Her shy Pokémon wouldn't have liked being around so many people.

"Thank Mew the cops didn't think you did it, Lyra. That would just be horrible," Ethan said. Glancing at his Pokégear, he jumped. "Gotta go, Lyra! Mom's expecting me home for dinner." He scurried out of the lab, leaving Lyra and Professor Elm alone.

Professor Elm sighed. "I hope they find whoever stole Totodile. Oh, I almost forgot! What was Mr. Pokémon's big discovery?"

In the midst of everything else that was going on, Lyra had almost forgotten about the egg he had trusted her with. Digging into her large bag, she produced the egg. Cyndaquil sniffed it curiously one more time before Lyra handed it out to Professor Elm.

He took it, lifting it up to eye level so he could study it closer. "Hmm," he said. "It's an egg, I'm sure, but I've never seen one like it before. Mr. Pokémon's always been fascinated by eggs, so I'm sure there's a reason he's giving it to us. I suppose I'll just have to take good care of it until it hatches. Is there anything else he told you?"

"No, but – wait!" Lyra suddenly remembered Professor Oak's gift to her. "Professor Oak was there too, and he gave me this," she said, producing the Pokédex from her pocket.

Professor Elm's eyes widened in shock as he realized what device Lyra was holding. "Oak gave that to you?" he exclaimed in wonder. "That's amazing! He was the one who started Red on his own journey after all. If _he _can see potential in you, then it speaks legions. His word is as good as Lance or any of the Elite Four."

It took Lyra a moment to recall that Lance was Johto's Champion, but she had no clue Professor Elm was on a first name basis with the famous Dragon Tamer. Unlike when Yvonne talked about him, Professor Elm's tone implied that he actually knew him.

Professor Elm eyed Cyndaquil who was currently taking a power nap on her shoe. "Cyndaquil certainly seems to have bonded with you. Lyra, how would you like to take on the Pokémon League Challenge?"

Now it was Lyra who was in shock. "Seriously?" she whispered in amazement. "You mean it?"

Professor Elm laughed. "Of course I mean it. Hasn't that been your wish since you were five? Professor Oak thinks you can, and it would be impossible to separate you and Cyndaquil. You have the Pokémon, the desire, and even the Pokédex. So long as your mother gives you permission, you have everything you need to start the long road."

Lyra was speechless. She glanced down at Cyndaquil who had woken up at her earlier happiness. If she would ever attempt to take on the League, she would need more Pokémon, but right now, she felt like she and Cyndaquil could take on the world.

"Professor, I … that would be a dream come true. Really," Lyra stammered.

"It's settled then," Professor Elm said. "Who knows? If you defeat the Gyms, you may eventually challenge the Champion himself. Although I warn you, taking on the Gyms scattered around the region will be a long and difficult journey. You sure you're ready?"

Lyra nodded determinedly. "I've always wanted this, Professor."

"Well, I suggest you talk to your mother before you leave. I've kept you from her long enough. After that, you can register at the nearest Pokémon Center, which for you would be the one in Cherrygrove."

Lyra gave him one last thanks before she left the lab.

* * *

_Indigo Plateau_

"Remind me again why I have to go to this stupid dinner?" Lance grumbled while Karen continued to look at different tuxedos while the clerk measured him. Karen had already had her dress for a month, so she had taken it upon herself to help Bruno and Lance find something to wear. They had both continued to put off thinking about the dinner until last minute, something Karen was starting to get annoyed at.

"Because many important people will be there. Senators, CEOs, and so forth. It's part of being Champion, Lance. Besides, you usually don't mind these kinds of events," Karen said. She examined a green suit only for three seconds before putting it back. "No, that would clash horribly with your hair," she said, more to herself than Lance.

It was true that Lance didn't mind those events. However, most of the people who attended the dinners were there for fun. There was joking, dancing, and the usual Pokémon battle between Bruno and Flint after the argument they were bound to have.

"I don't mind it when it's trainers like us, but you know I'm not the biggest fan of some of Johto's and Kanto's politicians. All they do is talk. At least hanging out with other Gym Leaders and Elite Four is fun."

"Most will still be there," Karen said. "It's just that there's more politicians than trainers this time." She spoke casually, but Lance detected a bitter note in her voice. Karen didn't like most of them any more than he did, but she was much better than Bruno and hiding his feelings, as evidenced when Bruno had sent Senator Higgs, the person organizing the dinner, an incredibly long letter explaining (in very explicit detail) that he was currently fighting off a fungus that was mutating his skin and hair so he looked more like a Goodra than an actual person. That excuse failed when Senator Higgs replied that there was no such fungus.

Never mind the fact that Lance tried the same thing.

Lance sighed. "Which trainers are going again?"

"Everybody except Bugsy and Blaine. They both have legitimate excuses though. Azalea Town is having trouble, and Blaine's sick again. There also going to be a couple of other prominent trainers there. I know Eusine is going."

He didn't reply. If it had been a party hosted by one of the leagues, everybody tried their best to be there, but those were completely optional. Unfortunately, it was required for them to attend the most boring dinners.

"Wait. Agatha's going?" Lance asked. He expected the old woman to use the excuse of her broken leg as well as the fact the she would be leaving in the coming month to escape the dinner.

Karen grinned. "She's going to make sure she gives several _particular _people a piece of her mind before she retires from the Elite Four. It's not like they can do anything to her now that she's finally leaving, and she won't miss the chance to make her feelings heard."

Finally Lance had something to look forward to. Agatha was a formidable woman. Despite her old age, she had no problem yelling at people to make sure they knew they were doing something wrong. Even though she was a tiny bag of bones, Agatha was anything but frail.

"Well, I'll have to make sure I'm there for that," Lance said finally.

Karen smirked.

* * *

_New Bark Town_

"I'm so proud of you, Lyra. You have your very own Pokémon and everything. I wish there was more I could do for you – I know! I can save some of your money for you. After all, on a long journey like that, money is very important."

Lyra had nearly forgotten that as an official Pokémon Trainer, all other trainers she might defeat would be required by the Pokémon League to hand over a small portion of their money. Most of the trainers who were wealthier lived in the northern part of Johto, however, and Lyra didn't expect any trainer along the routes leading to Violet City to have much more money than she did.

"Can I just send you some of my money whenever I reach a post office?" Lyra asked.

Her mom hugged her one more time. "Of course you can, baby. And I'll be right here whenever you need to come home, though I expect to see you for any holidays," she said, suddenly stern, but Lyra could still see the sparkle in her eyes.

"Of course I will, Mom," Lyra said.

"I love you so much, Lyra. Whatever you decide to do, know that I'll always be proud of you," Ms. Soul said, holding Lyra's face in her hands. Cyndaquil yipped as if he too wanted attention. "Yes, that goes for you too, Cyndaquil. Make sure you look after my darling girl."

Standing up straighter, Lyra said, "I love you, Mom. I'll be back." Then, with Cyndaquil at her heels, she opened the door and stepped out into the bright sun.

This was it. A moment twelve years in the making, Lyra was going to officially take on the Pokémon League. It was oh so sweet.

Lyra glanced at Cyndaquil. "This is it, Cyndaquil. We're going to battle all the Gym Leaders and win, then we're going to take on the Elite Four, and after that we're going to defeat the Champion. You ready?"

It would have been perfect, save for the high-pitched laugh that interrupted Lyra's peace. Spinning on her heels, Lyra spotted Yvonne lounging on a bench not far from her house, taking a nail file to her nails. Next to her a recently evolved Granbull was playing with a couple of berries she apparently found. Three other Poké Balls dangled from a belt, though they were almost covered up by the light suede jacket. A pang of jealousy shot through Lyra. As much as they hated each other, Yvonne was still very pretty, and she knew it too.

"You're really going to try to beat Lance?" Yvonne snickered. "With only a Cyndaquil?" She eyed Lyra's Pokémon with disdain, though unless Lyra was mistaken, there the tiniest trace of another emotion: jealousy.

Lyra rolled her eyes. "Of course not, Yvonne. How did you even know I was here anyways?"

Yvonne waved her hand dismissively. "I was just getting my Chikorita from Professor Elm when he mentioned that you were in there earlier today to finish up your errand. He knew that I was going to take the League Challenge, and told me that you were also going to become an official trainer as soon as you registered in Cherrygrove."

As brilliant as Professor Elm was, he was completely oblivious to the animosity between Lyra and Yvonne.

Lyra noticed that there was a mean undertone to her otherwise perfectly polite voice that told Lyra this was going in a bad direction. Yvonne stood up and strode up to Lyra. Although they were both twelve now (technically Yvonne was almost thirteen) she was much taller than Lyra.

"After Elm told me that, I thought '_That can't be right. Lyra was just in Cherrygrove, and she was telling me all this stuff about how she already _was _a trainer._' But then I realized you were just running another errand for Elm when I met you a couple of days ago." Yvonne laughed. "Imagine that. Little Lee-Lee lying because she was embarrassed."

Lyra's face went bright red. "I never lied, Yvonne. All I told you was that I was going to beat the Champion," she defended.

Yvonne paused and then shrugged. "So you did. My mistake." Suddenly her eyes glinted as if she just came up with a thought. "But if you're so confident that you're going to beat Lance, then battling me should be no problem for you," she said.

"You know I only just started, Yvonne!" Lyra cried in disbelief. "You've already had two years to train your Pokémon."

"Like that's my problem. It's League rules, Lee-Lee. Any trainers must battle when challenged unless they no longer have any Pokémon capable of fighting, but I'll go easy for now and only use one Pokémon." Yvonne paused once again before continuing. "Although I suppose you could decline since you technically aren't an official trainer yet."

Yvonne knew she had Lyra trapped. If she declined, she would look weak, but if she accepted, Cyndaquil would get pummeled by Yvonne's much more experienced Pokémon. As well as Cyndaquil had been doing, he still wasn't at that level where he could face Pokémon who had several years of training under their belt.

Yvonne watched with a smirk as Lyra hesitated. "Come now, Lee-Lee. I can't wait around all day. What's it going to be: run away or stand and fight? If you can't even beat little old me, then you have absolutely _no _chance at beating Lance."

Lyra looked down at Cyndaquil, who had been shivering between her feet ever since he had seen Yvonne's Granbull. As much as she wanted to beat Yvonne, Lyra couldn't subject her Cyndaquil to that; she loved him too much. Lyra raised her head and took a deep breath before saying, " I decline your offer, Yvonne."

Her eyes widened in surprise before she covered it with a sneer. "And why is that, Lee-Lee?" Yvonne simpered.

When Lyra didn't answer, Yvonne leaned closer. "What was that? I was having too good of a time to hear you."

Lyra flushed an even deeper red. She was just adding salt to the wound, the little bitch. "Because we're not ready yet. Are you happy now, Yvonne?" Lyra said between clenched teeth.

"Why yes, Lee-Lee, I believe I am. Come on, Loni, we're leaving now," Yvonne said to her Granbull who had been too busy trying to create a pyramid with the berries to listen to the recent exchange. Once Yvonne said they were leaving though, Granbull obediently hopped to her feet and followed Yvonne as she skipped away.

When she was gone, Lyra scooped up Cyndaquil and hugged him tightly. "It's alright, Cyndy," she said, placing him on her shoulder. "We'll return the favor someday."

* * *

_Blackthorn City_

"Remind me again why I have to go to this stupid dinner?" Clair demanded while her Kingdra practiced trying to aim her Hydro Pump better. Lance's Dragonite had volunteered to provide target practice, but it was still too fast to get hit. They were currently in the Dragon Den, and Clair was not taking kindly to being ordered anywhere.

It was the exact thing Lance had said to Karen. "Because we both have to. You're a Gym Leader, and I'm the Champion. Believe me, I've already tried to get out of it, but the League is insisting everybody goes. They wouldn't dare upset their sponsors."

Clair snorted. "Did you just revise Bruno's letter to make it more believable, or did you have to pay off a doctor to say you were sick?"

She had meant as a joke, but Lance stared guiltily at the water, avoiding Clair's gaze. "Maybe, maybe not," he said vaguely.

Clair's eyes widened in disbelief. "You actually revised Bruno's letter! Did you just change it to some flesh-eating bacteria or something?"

Lance's silence provided the answer, and Clair started laughing while he just shuffled his feet. "Holy Mew, Lance! It's tragic that's the best you and Bruno can come up with. You've lost your edge, cousin."

Lance glared. "I have not! Flesh-eating bacteria exist," he said, knowing full well he sounded ten years younger than he was.

"You have, and you know it," Clair said, wiping tears of laughter from her cheeks. "What's next? Are they going to try to track down Red to get him to come."

Lance fell silent. "They actually did try that. Some people have been harassing his mother all month."

Clair stopped laughing. "Seriously?" she asked. Whereas she had seen Lance's attempt at an excuse comical, it was just pathetic that anybody would try to make Red go anywhere. He had resigned from the post of Champion after battling Lance to a draw two years ago, deciding that he didn't like all the red tape of the League, so Lance took over as Champion while Karen was chosen to fill his spot as the fourth Elite. There were rumors that Red was training atop Mt. Silver, but not many people dared venture there to find him.

Lance nodded. "But both Professor Oak and his mother refused to try to contact him on their behalf. Since nobody could force them, they've decided to send their own people up to convince him."

Clair laughed again, but unlike before, there was no humor. "Good luck to them. Even I'm crazy enough to try to take on all those wild Pokémon in Mt. Silver."

All Lance could say was, "I know."

* * *

_Route 29_

"Lyra, wait up!" Ethan called.

Still feeling like a loser from the conversation with Yvonne and on the verge of crying, Lyra spoke morosely. "What's up?"

Ethan stopped short at her sad tone. "What's up with me? What's up with you? You seem really down about something."

Lyra sniffled, and Cyndaquil comforted her by snuggling closer to her. "I saw Yvonne outside my house."

"Uh-oh," Ethan said. Lyra hadn't been the only person Yvonne liked to pick on and embarrass. Ethan had also been the subject of many taunts and jibes Yvonne had decided to throw his way. "What happened? Did she say something nastier than usual."

Lyra wiped a tear away from her cheek that had managed to escape her eyes. "She challenged me to a battle, even though she knew Elm had only just given Cyndaquil to me, and she's had several years to train her Pokémon. Then she said she would be nice and only use one of her Pokémon."

"What did you tell her?" Ethan prompted gently.

"I couldn't let Cyndaquil get hurt like that," Lyra said. "He's only faced down Silver who had only just stolen his own Pokémon. He's not at that level yet. Even after I said no, Yvonne kept rubbing it in. She kept saying how pathetic I was that I didn't even want to try to battle, and how if I couldn't beat her, there was no way I could work my way up to the Champion."

Ethan's face hardened the more he heard Lyra speak. "It's her fault. She's just scared that once you get going, she won't be able to beat you, so she's challenging you now before you get more Pokémon. Besides, you did the right thing in not letting your Cyndaquil battle yet."

Lyra couldn't stop the steady trickle of tears running down her face. "But why does she hate me so much? Even before my birthday, she wasn't this mean."

A wry smile crossed Ethan's features, though Lyra failed to see what was so funny. "Because she wanted Cyndaquil herself. She kept putting it off because she wanted to focus on raising one Pokémon at a time, but then you were given the choice, and obviously you chose Cyndaquil. So now she's starting her own journey sooner than she wanted because if there's one thing Yvonne Malley hates, it's being second-best to you."

"Really?" Lyra whispered. It was impossible in imagine her sweet little Cyndaquil in Yvonne's perfectly manicured hands.

Ethan nodded. "But Georgia wanted the Chikorita once she graduated from that school in Goldenrod City, so it's going to be amusing to see how Yvonne's desperation to get enough Pokémon to stay ahead of you is going to play out with her sister."

"How do you even know all of this?" Lyra asked. The only person lower than Ethan on Yvonne's list of friends was Lyra herself.

The smile returned. "Haven't you noticed how only the most annoying voices carry over crowds or distances?"

Lyra giggled in spite of herself. "Oh, Ethan. I would say that it's rude to eavesdrop, but considering …"

Ethan shrugged. "It's not my fault she practically yells into her Pokégear when talking to Georgia. Now come on, I got something to cheer you up."

"What?" Lyra asked curiously.

Her best friend grinned and took her hand, pulling her farther into Route 29. "I'm going to show you how to catch your very first wild Pokémon."

**You may be wondering why I haven't updated in several weeks. I've been on the most amazing vacation ever, so I decided to wait until I got back home before writing more. However, I'm back, and I hope you enjoyed this little chapter, though I promise that the next one will be longer. REVIEW!**

**Special thanks to AquilaTempestas and The Fading Author for your reviews last chapter.**

**WorldNerd12**


	5. Violet City

_Just a reminder: _Before the Fame_ is not going to have any romantic Lance/Lyra moments right now since Lance is older (and I'm not going to make him a pedophile) but there is going to be a sequel to this story where Lyra is a couple years older. That's going to be more Lance/Lyra-centric. So there are two parts to this story in case any of you lovelies were wondering._

_Anyways, enjoy!_

**Chapter 4: Violet City**

_Route 30_

Lyra now had two Pokémon: her Cyndaquil and the new Pokémon Ethan had helped her catch along Route 29, a Pidgey. Though she liked having another Pokémon to train, there wasn't much of a bond between them. Sure, Pidgey would dutifully obey any order, but above that, she kept to herself.

Nonetheless, Lyra worked her way through all the winding roads along Routes 29 and 30, battling several new trainers along the way. They were at the same level as her thankfully, and were just starting out themselves. It became a little bit easier each time Cyndaquil and Pidgey battled, though she had to spend a couple of extra days practicing with Pidgey.

Lyra had the foresight this time to bring a small sleeping bag this time; when it was time to sleep, she let both Cyndaquil and Pidgey out of their Poké Balls. Cyndaquil waddled right up and cuddled next to her cheek, providing warmth against the chilly night air while Pidgey usually consented herself with settling on Lyra's feet for most nights.

"Dark Cave," Lyra said one day as Cyndaquil tottered behind her; Pidgey was in her Poké Ball.

It had been three weeks since Professor Elm had sent her on the journey. Three weeks since she had last seen her mother. Three weeks since Ethan had walked her through catching her very first Pokémon. Despite the odds and hot weather Lyra had still plodded on through the warm and sunny routes connecting to Violet City, which was now only several miles away.

"What do you suppose that – Cyndaquil?"

Maybe it was the dark maw of entrance, or maybe it was the rustling that echoed enough so both Lyra and Cyndaquil could hear it. Whatever the reason, Cyndaquil whined and put his head down, the flames on his back flaring from his fear. Lyra leaned down and cradled him in her arms.

"What's wrong, Cyndy?" Lyra asked. "Are you scared of the cave? You don't want to go in there?"

"That's probably for the best right now," a new voice said.

Lyra jumped, startled by the newcomer. "Who are you?" she asked the stranger. The stranger was a man, probably around twenty or so. Cropped brown hair stood up in spikes on his head, and he had the deepest tan Lyra had ever seen. She spotted six different Poké Balls belted to light brown pants. Lyra would have guessed he was a hiker from around here if not for the strong accent. She had never heard it before except for when she would watch documentaries on TV for the northernmost parts of Kanto.

The speaker grinned and removed his hand from a black jacket that covered an orange T-shirt. "The name's Brock. I'm the Gym Leader in Pewter City."

Lyra's eyes widened as she shook Brock's extended hand. "Lyra Soul," she provided. "I didn't expect to see a Kanto leader here of all places."

Brock ran his hand through his hair. "Some people are hosting a dinner party tomorrow, and all of the prominent trainers are required to be there, but I wanted to check out some of the caves around here first. You know, research and such."

"Oh, right. You specialize in Rock types, don't you?" Lyra said, some of the details about Kanto coming back to her. Though she was focusing on taking on the Johto leaders first, there was also a small part of her that wondered about leaders in other regions like Hoenn and Kanto. "I wouldn't mind battling you for a little practice, but I've only had Cyndaquil since last month, and Pidgey's with me for an even shorter amount of time. It's going to be very hard to defeat Falkner."

Brock gave her a kind smile. "If you're just starting out, I assume that you have no badges, right?"

Lyra blushed and nodded her head silently.

"That's alright. Some leaders have other Pokémon in reserve to make it a fair fight considering the job of a Gym Leader is to determine if you're ready to move on, though I know that Clair in Blackthorn City and Blue in Viridian City simply refuse to battle trainers unless they have a certain number of badges from the respective regions. I know Falkner and Bugsy are both very good about giving beginning trainers a fighting chance," Brock explained. "Though most of the leaders don't mind a rematch for most people; in fact, I like rematches."

Lyra set Cyndaquil on her shoulder. "So if I challenge you right now …"

Brock laughed a big, full laugh. "Where are you from, Lyra?"

"New Bark Town," she said. Remembering that most people hardly knew of that tiny town, she added, "It's a small town a little east of Cherrygrove."

"I know which place you're talking about. I like to collaborate with Professor Elm sometimes on projects," Brock said. "I think you should focus on getting all of Johto's badges first before thinking about Kanto, though once you do, I'll be waiting for you in Pewter City."

Just then Cyndaquil let out a large yawn.

Brock studied Lyra's Pokémon for a few moments before asking, "May I?"

Lyra nodded, wondering what he was going to do. Brock pulled a small sweet out of his pocket. After unwrapping it, he placed it in his hand and held it out for Cyndaquil. He studied for a minute, sniffing every inch as if he had never seen the sweet before, though it apparently passed the test because he snapped it up quickly. Swallowing it, Cyndaquil yipped again as if to ask if there were more.

"What was that?" Lyra asked.

"A kind of Pokécandy," Brock said. "You can usually get it at most Poké Marts, though be careful not to give any Pokémon too much at once because then it will make them sick. When do you think you're going to challenge the Violet City gym? You can't do it for a couple of days since he's going to Senator Higgs's dinner party."

"Do you know much about Falkner?" Lyra asked. She had hoped that most Gym Leaders were familiar enough with each other to know about each other's weaknesses and such.

Brock nodded, though he was still examining Cyndaquil with a professional eye. "He prefers flying types, which means most of his Pokémon will be weak to Ice, Rock, or Electric-type attacks."

"I only have a Pidgey and Cyndaquil," Lyra said sadly. Maybe she should just skip Falkner and come back when she has a more diverse team.

"That's alright. I know that there are quite of few Mareep if you continue south from Violet City onto Route 32. Though don't be discouraged by his attitude. He can sometimes be … overconfident," Brock said. "He's certainly no Jasmine."

"Some people I grew up with claimed to be related to Jasmine," Lyra said. "They weren't very nice." Understatement of the century, but Lyra didn't want to appear like a bitchy little girl in front of the first Gym Leader she had ever met.

Brock laughed his contagious laugh again. "You don't have to worry about Jasmine being mean to you, Lyra. I still haven't come across anybody who doesn't like her. Besides, she's the best person besides Clair to ask for tips if you ever want to battle Lance, considering they're really good friends."

"Lance the Champion?" Lyra clarified. She didn't know much about the current Champion since she wanted to avoid whatever Yvonne and Georgia loved. She wasn't the biggest fan of the news programs that her mother always watched, so all she knew was his name and that he trained Dragon-types, supposedly the most difficult types to raise. "I'm hoping I'll get good enough to battle him for the title of Champion someday."

"Well, anybody who wants to challenge him is going to need all the help they can get," Brock said. He glanced at his own Pokégear before saying, "You should wait before exploring Dark Cave. It spreads all the way to Blackthorn City and can take months to fully explore. Anyways, best of luck to you, Lyra, and I hope you'll eventually show up at Pewter City to challenge me."

"Bye," Lyra said, waving at Brock while Cyndaquil yipped from her shoulder, though Lyra didn't know if it was because Cyndaquil was saying good-bye or if he just wanted more candy.

After Brock disappeared down a tree-covered path to her right, Lyra said, "Violet City, here we come."

Cyndaquil barked in agreement.

* * *

_Senator Higgs Manor – Violet City_

Lance tugged uncomfortably at the collar of the sleek black suit Karen had finally deemed appropriate several weeks ago. All around him huge glass chandeliers hung from the magnificently decorated ceilings while servers made their way through fancily-dressed people, offering champagne and crab cakes to anybody who waved them down. To Lance's left, the grand staircase sparkled in the soft golden glow.

The only thing Lance was missing to make this a perfect night was an immediate escape plan from this place.

"Are you just going to stand there like an idiot?" Clair asked, coming up right behind him in a spectacular icy blue dress dotted with silver diamonds with an open back. Her blue hair was pulled back into a braided do that he couldn't even begin to comprehend, and there were matching sapphires adorning her ears, neck, and wrists.

"That was my plan," Lance responded over the babble.

Clair rolled her eyes and playfully shoved him. "Well, you _could _ask your cousin if she wanted to get something to eat from the tables."

"Whatever you say, Clair," Lance said. He held his arm out for her to grab, fully aware of the five-inch heels she was wearing that could easily double as a wicked sharp weapon if somebody, preferably not he, pissed her off tonight. "Shall we go stuff ourselves and be rude in hopes no senators come up and bother us?" he asked in a majestic voice to match the ballroom.

"You can be such a dork sometimes. You know that, right?" Clair said, though she took his arm and followed him to the nearest buffet table. Senator Higgs hadn't wasted any expenses in making sure that the dishes were all exquisite. Lance took a plate (fine china, obviously) and searched the table in hopes of getting a piece of pizza or maybe even a burger, but the simplest dish there were chicken breasts covered in sautéed mushrooms, green peppers, onions. Obviously Senator Higgs was aiming to impress, but he failed miserably; the most impressive thing Lance noticed was that there was still some food that looked edible as opposed to just useless embellishment.

Clair found an unoccupied silk-covered table soon enough, and she pulled Lance into a chair. "C'mon," she muttered, "It will be less likely for some people to approach you if you look like you're busy eating."

Considering that most of the food looked like it was just for decoration, Lance was surprised that it took fifteen bites to finish. Beside him Clair was glaring at her empty plate that she had just finished off. "We are so getting some super unhealthy, greasy burgers after this and stuffing ourselves, Lance," she said.

Before he could respond, somebody called his name. "Lance, come join us since your done with dinner."

Lance rolled his eyes, and Clair kicked him in the shin before saying, "Remember, Cuz, to these people you are a grinning idiot who just loves whatever stupid party the host can come up with. Now _smile_."

He showed her a big but completely fake smile before getting out of his seat and turning around. "Senator Higgs, it is so great to see you. This is an excellent party by the way."

Senator Higgs, a large, bald man with a giant mustache walked over to them. Dressed in a navy blue suit that no doubt cost at least ten thousand dollars, he played the host's part perfectly. "It's wonderful to see you again, m'boy, and please, you know I prefer to call me Barty," he announced in a big, booming voice. Shaking Lance's hand furiously, he added, "I've been hoping to introduce you to a couple of my associates. This is Archer, my Head of Communications in Goldenrod City."

Senator Higgs waved a hand behind him, and Lance spotted a thin man with light teal hair dressed from head to toe in white with only a couple of hints of red and black. Archer didn't smile; he just nodded in a polite but silent greeting. Lance responded in kind. There was something that was off about Senator Higgs's associate, but Lance couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"I don't believe you've met my cousin, Senator Higgs. This is Clair; she's the Gym Leader in Blackthorn City," Lance said. He knew Clair would also hate talking to a bunch of politicians, but he would be damned if Senator Higgs only paid attention to him.

Clair shot him the briefest glare before putting on a winning smile that didn't reach her eyes; Lance knew it was just as fake as his. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Senator. I've heard so much about you."

"_Enchanté,_" Senator Higgs said, leaning down and kissing her hand – twice. "Believe me, Lady Clair, the pleasure is all mine." In what Lance considered a great show of restraint, Clair managed to not roll her eyes. Instead she just smiled while tugging as hard as she dared to free her hand.

Turning back to Lance and throwing an arm around his shoulders, Senator Higgs said, "Lance, my dear boy, come walk with me. Now, I know that as the Champion of both Johto and Kanto makes you a very busy man, but I have a business proposition for you."

They stopped, and Lance asked cautiously, "What kind of business proposition?" Senator Higgs was notorious for manipulating and bribing people into furthering his own goals.

"You see, I have certain … backers to my campaign who are asking for two opposite ends of the spectrum on certain issues." Here, Senator Higgs paused as if he was waiting for Lance to say something. When he didn't, Senator Higgs continued. "What I'm saying, Lance, is that there happens to be an open spot on my staff, one that deals with handling my donators who want to be a part of the lawmaking process. Now, if they saw you with me, there would be much less hassle over who wants what passed. Do you get what I'm saying?"

Lance completely got what Senator Higgs was saying. As the Champion, Lance could persuade people much more easily into agreeing with whatever Senator Higgs was saying than some clerk. People would listen and agree more if they thought he agreed that whatever it was Senator Higgs was trying to pass. In short, he would pretty much be Senator Higgs's lobbyist against the lobbyists.

"I already have a job, Senator," Lance declined politely.

"But that's the beauty of it, my boy. You would just need to go places when something comes up. You could still be Champion and everything. Besides, if people saw that you supported me, there would be much less trouble with our elections. You would also be paid very well."

So now he wanted Lance to be his lapdog?

"I already have plenty of money, Senator," Lance said. His voice was now starting to gain a hard edge.

Senator Higgs chuckled as if he found Lance's words hilarious. "Nobody can have too much money, m'boy. What I were to throw in – "

A sharp crackle of laughter interrupted whatever Senator Higgs was going to offer. "Are you out of your goddamned mind, Barty? That boy wants nothing to do with you and your sneaky politics," Agatha barked. Dressed in a dark grey pant suit and hobbling on a cane, her sharp eyes glaring at everybody she passed, all five feet of Agatha's frame was rather intimidating. The old woman strode right up and stared Senator Higgs down, a remarkable feat considering she was a foot shorter.

"Agatha, you made it," Senator Higgs said in a tight voice. "I wasn't sure if you would."

"Why? Because I only have about ten more years before I drop dead?" Agatha retorted. "Let me tell you something, Barty, if you can unclog your oversized donkey ears for a couple of minutes. Any person with half a shred of decency left is going to steer clear of you and your self-righteous lobbyists. They're conniving, manipulative, and some are outright bad people. Considering you bribe several League officials into forcing all important trainers to come to this ridiculous party – a party, I might add, that sucks. You might have a secret stash of Oreos taking over your closet, but the rest of us are forced to pretend that turkey bones with flowers and chocolate sauce is actual dinner. To that big guy Bruno over there, that's just pure torture, and he doesn't do well with torture."

Indeed, Lance noticed that Bruno was grunting and glaring at every person who tried to talk to him while pulling at the collar of the suit Karen had managed to squeeze him into.

Agatha considered Bruno for a moment more before turning back to Senator Higgs to continue her rather insulting lecture. "Now unstick your head from your rear for once and notice other people around you. After all, you are supposed to help run this region, though you're doing a very crappy job at caring for its citizens."

Senator Higgs went beet red, and Lance was eternally grateful he was on Agatha's – somewhat – good side. Even though they were only part-way through Agatha's speech, many guests around them weren't bothering to hide their stares.

"I'll have you know that we have managed to pass-" Senator Higgs started. He was desperate to preserve some of his dignity in front of his guests, but Agatha … oh-ho. Lance could tell she wouldn't give up on the chance on letting him know just how bad he and several other Senators were getting.

"Blah, blah, blah," Agatha said, opening and closing her hand like a mouth for emphasis. "All you care about is what _you _can do to further your power in Johto. You and your pork barrel politics are only interested in getting more money. And don't think you can get away with any of the bribing and blackmailing you like to do to your opponents and activists who hate you. I know for a fact that you caused the last blackout to hack into the server room of the Election Hall, but you don't care about that since now only you and your little gang of lying Senators could remove you from office. You all hear that?" Agatha asked, pointing around at the room. "Barty here doesn't play by the rules. Perhaps you should be sent back to Kindergarten to reteach you certain values. Now out of my way, you wrinkly old elephant. This old lady has to take a wee," she said, whacking Senator Higgs's shins with her cane. "Don't tell me your tiny brain forgot about the bladder's function in the human body."

With Senator Higgs staring at Agatha's retreating form open-mouthed, Lance took the exit as a cue to escape from Senator Higgs sight before he recovered from that extreme form of embarrassment. Winding his way through the crowd, Lance caught sight of Jasmine, who was looking stunning in a knee-length gown of silver silk with matching flats, and her boyfriend Jayson talking to an elderly couple who were so wrinkly they Agatha to shame.

"Lance!" Jasmine called, waving him over. Lance happily joined them. "This is Madame Francine, the founder and old curator of the museum in Pewter City. She was just telling me about a new exhibit that will be opening next year focusing on extinct Pokémon whose fossils have only been found in Johto."

Lance clasped Madame Francine's hand. "How do you do, Madame Francine?"

The old woman smiled and patted his cheek. "Hello, Lance. Jasmine's been telling me that you recently caught an Aerodactyl and have been training it to face challengers at Indigo Plateau. Those are fascinating Pokémon that have been around for a very long time. Some of our scientists have dated those fossils to be around two thousand years old."

"Really?" Lance asked. "How did you figure that out."

"Oh, Brock's been helping with a lot of research. Come over here, Brock," Madame Francine said, waving Brock forward. He had previously been talking to several businessmen, but he gladly took Madame Francine's invitation.

"What's new, Brock?" Lance asked as the Pewter City native dodged his way around a couple of wizened directors to join their little group. Behind him, Lance could see Clair talking to Aaron of the Sinnoh Elite Four. She held up her hand to her mouth and giggled at something Aaron said before she started twirling a stray lock of blue hair around her finger. All of that while smiling coyly at him.

Was Clair _flirting_?

Making a mental note to talk to Clair later, Lance turned his attention back to Brock who was shrugging at his earlier question. "Same old, same old. Though yesterday I met a rookie trainer who seemed quite determined to beat you in a couple of years, so if a Lyra Soul and her Cyndaquil defeat you, know that I called it first."

Jasmine smiled and put a hand on Lance's shoulder. "And we all know that there will be an epic battle between the two, but not for a while. Now let's just enjoy the party before Agatha decides to come over here to insult _us_."

"You heard that too?" Lance asked.

Jasmine giggled. "Lance, everyone here saw the spectacle. It was hard not to, though I'm sure that Senator Higgs and his 'oversized donkey ears' wish that everybody would forget it already. My, my, Agatha seems to excel at speaking her mind and then some."

"Though I for one found it highly amusing," Jayson added, circling his hand around Jasmine's small waist. "I didn't think that old lady could get so vocal. Has she always been like that, or is it just a side-effect of her aging unique to her?"

"Oh, Agatha's never been able to hold her tongue, that woman," Madame Francine said. "We grew up together, and she was always going on about this and that. We made quite a few rivals in our day, but that didn't stop her. Oh, I remember so many times she told Samuel Oak that he was going soft once he decided to stop training and focus on research …"

On and on the party went. Remembering Clair's advice, he kept his smile plastered on his face for when businessmen approached him for advertisement or when they wanted him to invest in their companies. There were so many different people coming up to him, pretending like they were old pals, that Lance was debating about whether or not to take a leaf out of Bruno's book and just glare at everybody who dared approach him. It was a relief when he managed to get time to talk to other trainers who were just trying to make the most of the party.

Sometime later Lance wound up closer to Clair's side again. She had just fended off a couple of important designers who wanted her to model several new clothes. Considering the fact that Clair looked like she was a second away from releasing her Kingdra to Hyper Beam everybody out of there, Lance came over to save the designers' lives.

"Excuse me, ladies and gent," Lance said. "May I borrow my cousin?"

When they left, grumbling something that sounded suspiciously like 'stupid dragon people', Lance rounded on Clair. "What happened to 'smile even if you hate them?' You looked like you were going punch those people."

Clair wasn't as concerned about her behavior as Lance was. "Oh, please. I never said _I _was going to do that. Besides, they're not the hosts, and have you even _seen_ what those people wanted me to model? Those clothes are hideous! If they want me to model for them, they gotta give me something good. They're just trying to get a famous trainer to model for them so they can beat the competition. And considering how bad those clothes are, they need all the help they can get, though I for one am not giving them any."

Lance guided her farther towards an exit. "Then just say you're not interested. They'll leave you alone after that."

Clair looked at him cynically and said, "And how's that working out for _you_?"

She had him there. "Well, I mean … _some _people … That's not the point, Clair! I don't like it, same as you, but can't you just last for a little bit longer until people start leaving?" Lance said.

Clair glanced over at the exit. "People are leaving now, Lance."

"Are they? Oh, thank Mew. I'm starving for some real food." Lance said quickly, practically running for the exit with Clair at his heels.

* * *

_Violet City_

Once when Lyra was nine, her mother and stepfather took her to Cianwood for a vacation on the warm, sunny beach by way of Professor Elm's tiny plane (it had been in return for a favor her mother had done for Professor Elm). Although she had spent most of her time looking for seashells and playing with some Corsola she had made friends with, they had spent several days exploring the city itself. At the time, Lyra had thought that Cianwood City was the biggest a city could get. It had spread out for well over a thousand acres, and there had been a warning to stay close to her mother and Alonzo since it would have been very easy to get lost in Cianwood City.

Compared to Violet City, however, it was much smaller than Lyra had originally thought. The beautiful cobbled streets led the way to the Pokémon Center, and from there, the street opened up into a stunning, sprawling city dotted with glowing lights to fight off the soft darkness of the twilight. On the outskirts stood magnificent trees full of green leaves. Once or twice Lyra thought she saw a Hoothoot among the branches, but they disappeared quickly. To the north, a many-storied structure rose above the city: Sprout Tower.

"What do you think, Cyndaquil?" Lyra asked him as he dared venture out from behind her to take in the sights. "Welcome to Violet City."

Lyra dearly wanted to explore the city right away, but it was getting late, and she and her team had been away from civilization for so long, she had desperately wanted to call her mother on more than one occasion to see if her mother wcould drive her anywhere in the family's small Corolla. Only the hope that her Pokémon would gain so much more experience from the Pokémon in the wild stopped her from making that call.

Thankfully she could see the Pokémon Center in the distance, a place she knew offered plenty of free food and lodging for the dozens of trainers that passed through Violet City.

"Come on, Cyndaquil. We'll stay the night at the Pokémon Center," Lyra said. "Let's just hope we don't run into Yvonne here." She didn't need to see anybody who made her life more difficult than it needed to be.

They made their way to the Pokémon Center. It was much larger than the one in Cherrygrove, but that was to be expected in a bigger city. Lyra and Cyndaquil entered. While she was expecting to see a lot of trainers and people, she wasn't expecting to see everybody dressed up in fabulous gowns and suits.

Lyra glanced at Cyndaquil, confused until she spotted other trainers standing to the side, dressed as casually as she was in hoodies, jeans, and the like. They were as confused as she was. Lyra tried to navigate her way to the front desk while not stepping on anybody's dress. It was proving very difficult.

"Cyndaquil, we should – Cyndaquil?"

Lyra whipped around, not caring if she treaded on anybody's clothes anymore. Cyndaquil had been following her close, but now he was nowhere to be found; her darling little Pokémon had been swept away by the crowd.

* * *

"I mean, seriously, it's like they've never heard 'no' in their entire lives. They just kept asking and asking and _asking_," Clair raged through a mouthful of Cheetos. She had been venting ever since they had left Senator Higgs's dinner party, and rather than risk accidentally turning her wrath on him, Lance sat listening to Clair go on about the designers who wanted her to pose with some of the outlandish outfits they had designed.

Lance sighed. "I know, it's terrible," he said, wishing dearly that she would shut up so he could enjoy his chicken wings in peace, but that wasn't likely. There _was_ a reason why her rants were famous within Blackthorn City after all.

"And to make it even worse, they – _argh!_"

Lance never got to hear what exactly made it worse because at that moment, a tiny little Pokémon had scurried up her leg that had been stretched out, over her arm, and it finally perched itself on top of her impressively done hair to get a good look at the crowd in the Pokémon Center.

"What the hell?" Clair cried in surprise.

She made a move to shake the Pokémon off her head, but Lance stopped her. "Hold still!" he said. The Pokémon, a Cyndaquil if Lance remembered correctly from his schooling, seemed to be looking for something. He had never seen one before, but he wasn't that impressed with the foot-high ball of fur, though he doubted it would be so cute and cuddly if it ever reached its final evolution, a Typhlosion.

Clair was as still as a statue, not even daring to anything more than breathe. The Cyndaquil must not have found what it was looking for because it slumped and whined before bouncing off of Clair's head and onto their table.

"It's alright," Lance said comfortingly to the Cyndaquil, holding his hand out. It must have gotten separated from its trainer in the mass of people gathered. "Do you want a chip?" he offered the Cyndaquil. It sniffed his hand curiously, inching closer and closer, but instead of taking the food from Lance's hand, it apparently decided that Lance's entire plate of food was free game since it dived headfirst onto Lance's plate.

"What the –" Lance said while Clair laughed loudly at the Cyndaquil who was shoving food into its mouth.

"Relax, Lance. The food here is free; you can always get some more," Clair said.

Lance couldn't do anything until the Cyndaquil had licked his plate clean. The only thing that remained were the bones from Lance's chicken. Cyndaquil seemed interested in Lance's pop as well, but Lance snatched it up before it could get closer. "Oh no you don't," Lance warned.

"Cyndaquil!" a girl's voice suddenly yelled. "Cyndaquuiiilll!"

The speaker was fighting her way through the crowd. Next to all the people coming from Higgs's party, her simple red shirt and overalls were out of place. Her slender legs were covered in white stockings, and her soft brown hair stuck out in two pigtails underneath a white hat. She couldn't have been older than twelve.

The Cyndaquil who had (quite rudely) stolen all of Lance's food, stuck his head up at the sound of his name. Spotting the trainer, he lept off the table and onto the floor, racing for the girl and jumping up.

"There you are, Cyndaquil!" the girl cried happily, catching the Pokémon in her arms. "I thought I lost you." She laughed happily as she twirled Cyndaquil around once before coming to a standstill. Cyndaquil snuggled closer to his trainer. It would have been a good moment –

Except that Clair's dress had caught fire.

Well, it wasn't actually on _fire _or anything, but it was definitely smoking. Flames had shot from Cyndaquil's back in his excitement, but unfortunately for Lance's cousin, he had been right next to Clair's precious dress at the time. Thankfully Clair had stomped it out before any real damage had been done to the gown, but that didn't stop the spark of fury from igniting in her eyes.

_Uh-oh, _Lance thought.

"Do you have any idea how much this dress cost?" Clair yelled as she stood up and stomped over to the poor girl.

Clair had always been tall, but now she had the help of the five-inch heels strapped to her feet. She towered over Cyndaquil's owner, her hands in quivering fists. The other girl wasn't even five feet tall, and she shied away from the intimidating Dragon Tamer, clutching her Cyndaquil in her arms.

Lance rose from his seat quickly to stop Clair from doing anything to the poor girl.

"I'm sorry," she said timidly. "I didn't realize –"

"Well, you should have," Clair snarled, her face slowly turning red with anger. "I don't care if you're from a faraway Miltank farm somewhere around Olivine judging by that stupid outfit, I'll challenge you to a battle. Right here, right now."

"I've only had my Pokémon for a month!" the girl protested.

Clair fumed. "Then you can –"

"Stop, Clair," Lance said warningly. He had finally reached the two, and he put his arm on Clair's shoulder, placing himself in between the two. Probably not the wisest thing to do, but he couldn't stand by while Clair clobbered a beginner. "You know you shouldn't battle a rookie of all people."

Clair glared at Lance, but he stood his ground. Her eyes flicked back to the girl. Lance noticed she had shifted so it was harder for Clair to see her from around Lance. "What's your name, rookie?" Clair demanded, pointing her finger accusingly at the girl.

"Lyra Soul," Lyra responded meekly.

"Well, _Lyra_, I expect to see you at my gym in Blackthorn so I can beat you so thoroughly that you –"

"Clair!" Lance shouted, hoping to catch her attention. They had now attracted a small circle of onlookers. "Stop."

Very reluctantly, Clair's body relaxed slightly, though she still glowered in Lyra's direction. "I'll be in the Blackthorn Gym, rookie. Don't you dare forget." She stormed away, shoving several unfortunate people out of her way in anger.

**I kind of like the idea of accents, so I've decided to have different accents for different parts of Johto and Kanto. (I wanted Lyra to have an Australian-ish accent because honestly? I just love those accents. I'm so jealous.) Anyways, hoped you liked this chapter, and as always, REVIEW!**

**Special thanks to AquilaTempestas and The Fading Author for the reviews to last chapter. Those reviews just make my day.**

**Until next time!**

**WorldNerd12**


	6. Battles of a Different Kind

**Chapter 5: Battles of a Different Kind**

_Pokémon Center – Violet City_

Lyra woke up to Cyndaquil sneezing right next to her face. Pidgey squawked in surprise before glaring and nestling farther into the squashy armchair she had taken residence on. It took a moment for Lyra to take her mind off of the Pokémon Center's room that had been hers to use for the next couple of days and remember the events from last night.

She had been so happy to see Cyndaquil unhurt and sitting with two other people who were lending him food, and apparently Cyndaquil had been thrilled to see her too, so much that he had accidentally set the woman's dress on fire. Unfortunately for Lyra, the woman had been furious at her. With Silver and Yvonne to deal with already, she didn't want another enemy. To make matters worse, the person she had pissed off had been Clair, the Blackthorn City leader and one of the strongest trainers in Johto.

Just her luck.

At least she was the only mad person. Cyndaquil had stolen the handsome guy's food, but he had only cared about calming Clair down. If Lyra ever got unlucky and ran into Clair before reaching Blackthorn, hopefully that guy would be there to stop the Gym Leader from battling Lyra before she was ready to fight the toughest leader in Johto. A nagging suspicion in Lyra told her that the man was one of the only people who could face Clair and have it be a fair fight, seeing as Clair struck her as the type of person to battle it out with anybody who stood in her way.

Cyndaquil sneezed again, bringing Lyra's mind back to the present. She was going to face Falkner soon, but first preparations needed to be made. Brock had said there were plenty of Mareep south of Violet City, and her first stop was to catch one. Though she had complete faith in Cyndaquil and Pidgey, it wouldn't hurt to have a Pokémon that could resist plenty of Falkner's attacks and knock down Flying-types pretty quickly.

Lyra changed into one of her two spare outfits, gray overalls and a tank top that was her favorite color of blue. There was a Boutique farther into the city, and it would take all of Lyra's willpower not to buy it out. Though she had brought her biggest shoulder bag, it would be stupid to fill it with just clothes.

After placing her hat on her head, she turned to Cyndaquil and Pidgey. "Ready?" she asked. Cyndaquil immediately jumped up on her shoulder while Pidgey trailed behind her to head down to where the Pokémon Center was now serving breakfast for trainers and their Pokémon.

After ordering some chocolate milk and waffles, Lyra chose one of the few empty tables there were. While most trainers were now dressed casually, Lyra noticed that most of them were older than she was, which she found slightly confusing. She had been a late starter after all.

" ... You're as bad as Valerie. If Fairy-types are really that strong, then why aren't Clair and Lance faced with tougher challengers here? Nobody is immune to dragons; they're too strong for that," somebody said in such a strong accent that it was nearly impossible to understand what he was saying.

To Lyra's left, two people were debating about something that sounded promising. There had been rumors of Fairy-types in faraway regions, something to do with a different evolution of certain Pokémon in other regions or some other science-ish explanation. Lyra knew it was rude to eavesdrop the two, but she couldn't help herself.

"Drake, just because your dragon team is nearly invincible doesn't mean you can't ignore the fact that in the Kalos region, dragons aren't strong against a different type," the woman explained very patiently. She looked very familiar to Lyra, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. "Valerie has made it so her Pokémon can withstand almost all of Drasna's attacks."

"Hmph," Drake said, crossing his arms. "If that's what you believe, Diantha, then fine, but I have to return to Hoenn; my niece is getting married soon. I'll see you around."

As Drake left, Lyra suddenly realized where she had seen the woman before. She was Diantha Carnet, the famous actress and Champion of the Kalos League. Diantha had been the star in one of her favorite childhood films, _Mew's Myth_. A part of Lyra dearly wanted to approach her for an autograph, but that part was forgotten when Lyra realized something else.

Pidgey had wandered up to Diantha, also curious about the movie star. She got closer and closer before she finally decided to stick her entire beak into Diantha's little bag. The rustling caught Diantha's attention and she looked down at the little bird exploring her bag.

"Pidgey, don't – ah, crap," Lyra said as Pidgey clamped her beak around a small communication device. It looked expensive. "Sorry," Lyra said to Diantha. Why must she always give incredibly strong trainers more reasons to hate her?

"It's fine. Young Pokémon can't be blamed for being curious," Diantha said. She bent down to examine Pidgey. "Hello, there," she said, holding her hand out for the device. "May I please have my Holo Caster back?" Pidgey looked up at her inquisitively, but she reluctantly dropped the gadget into Diantha's outstretched hand. Lyra didn't trust herself to say anything around the famous movie star, so she instead finished her waffles while Diantha cautiously held out her hand to Pidgey.

"What's your name, sweetie?" Diantha finally asked Lyra.

Lyra coughed a little bit before swallowing. "Lyra. Lyra Soul. I just started my journey last month," she said breathlessly. "And can I please have your autograph, Ms. Carnet?" she blurted. The words were out of Lyra's mouth before she could stop them, but Diantha had been one of Lyra's and Ethan's idols when they were little. Ethan would kill her if she didn't get proof of their meeting. Plus it would be something good to rub in Yvonne's face, not that Lyra usually resorted to such measures.

Diantha smiled kindly at Lyra as she looked her over. Lyra wondered what she saw. A determined trainer? Or maybe she just saw a sad little girl in a silly hat. "How about I do one better, Lyra? And please, call me Diantha."

"Something better than an autograph, Ms. Car – Diantha?" Lyra asked. How did she manage to get on first-name basis with a world-famous actress and Champion of Kalos to boot?

"Yes, Lyra. I have an egg that will hatch soon, and something tells me that you would be able to take care of the Pokémon just as well as I could, if not better. I already have the Pokémon I need. It would be a little gift from me, and I do love to see new trainers grow with their Pokémon," Diantha said.

Lyra was speechless. Was she serious? Of course she wanted to! She was going to say yes, but instead it came out like, "Why me?"

Diantha shrugged. "What better way to help new trainers become better than to give them their very own Pokémon to raise from the beginning? Your current Pokémon seem to love you very much even though you said you've only had them for a month." Here, she eyes Cyndaquil who was cozy on the crook of Lyra's elbow, muching on some raspberries. "Besides, it would be interesting to battle you in a couple of years just to see how well you've done. What do you say?"

"Y-yes," Lyra stuttered, "Of course. I'll take good care of it."

Diantha smiled. "Wonderful! I hope to see you in a couple of years. You are taking the League Challenge, are you not?" she asked as she withdrew a small white egg with a little green circle at the top.

"I hope to beat the Champion someday," Lyra said, eagerly accepting the egg from Diantha. "Who knows? I think with careful training and some different Pokémon, Cyndaquil and I might have a shot."

"Ah, Lance," Diantha said. "He is very tough, but maybe my little gift will help you. Several Pokémon in Kalos have evolved to be immune to dragons, so this little one may be able to help you. I've always had a soft spot for Fairy-types, and I know for a fact the Valerie won't consider her life successful until she's unlocked all the secrets about fairies. Oh, I almost forgot! This also might be able to help you."

Here, Diantha removed a small stone from her pocket. "Don't worry about it, dear. I happen to have several of these laying around. Perhaps when you're finished with your journey here, you could talk to Korrina in Shalour City. Well, I have to go. Professor Augustine is expecting me tomorrow. I'll see you in about five years, Lyra," Diantha said after handing Lyra the mystery stone.

"Wait, what kind of Pokémon is it?" Lyra asked.

Diantha turned around with a playful smile on her lips. "That's part of the fun. Why would I want to spoil it?"

She left, leaving Lyra with nothing but an empty plate of waffles, a small egg, and her thoughts. Lyra looked at Cyndaquil who was still perched on her shoulder. "How have I gotten two different challenges from two of the best trainers in the world in less than twenty-four hours?" she wondered aloud, slipping her new egg into her bag. Diantha said it was close to hatching, and Lyra dearly hoped so.

She hated waiting.

* * *

_Indigo Plateau_

Lance woke up to a faceful of water.

"What the hell?!" he cried out in alarm, spluttering.

"You wouldn't wake up. Have your Pokémon been slipping dragon dung into your ears again, boy?" Agatha demanded. She stood over him with a cane in one hand and a bucket in the other. No apologies obviously. The formidable old lady only saved those for when she was actually sorry, which she never was.

"You could have knocked," Lance said through gritted teeth. "This suit is new."

Agatha scoffed. "You shouldn't have been sleeping in it then, but you, just like every other young hoodlum, indulged too much and became too stupid to remember where the bed was, much less how to properly put on pajamas."

"I was tired," Lance defended, shaking water out of his dark red hair.

"And now you're not," Agatha said. "Which means I can talk without you falling asleep in the middle."

Lance glanced out his window to see that the sun was just starting to rise. He groaned. "This couldn't have waited until morning?" Lance wasn't an early riser by any means, but he still got up decently early. At least compared to Karen, who slept like a Snorlax until lunchtime.

"I wouldn't be up here in this dull room if it could, boy," Agatha snapped, and Lance thought she was being unfair. His room was clean, much cleaner than Bruno's, and most things were in their right place. Of course, nothing was ever perfect in Agatha's eyes. He groaned again and flopped back onto the armrest he had been using as a pillow.

"You should count yourself lucky, boy. In my day, we were always up at the crack of dawn," Agatha snapped.

"Well, then your day was crazy," Lance retorted, putting his arm over his eyes. It was a sign of how strong their friendship was that Agatha only whacked his shoulder with her cane.

"Don't you fall asleep on me, boy. I came to warn you about Higgs."

Lance grumbled. "As I already told him, I don't need more money. He can go find somebody else to be his lackey, so unless he's stupid enough to come _here _and try –"

"Lance," Agatha interrupted, "Stop rambling and listen."

He paused. Agatha had never called him by his first name; in fact, Lance was pretty sure she didn't even know it. She always called him boy or Mr. Champ. So when Agatha was serious enough to call him that, Lance sat up, wide awake.

"Senator Higgs is waiting for you down in the lobby. He's sending somebody up to fetch you, and Bruno can only stall her for so long."

Lance smiled at that. It wasn't hard to imagine Bruno, who was always up before the sun rose to train his own Pokémon, stalling a businesswoman, and part of Lance wished he was there to see it.

His reverie was broken when Agatha snapped her wrinkly fingers in front of him. "Focus, boy! This is serious. Higgs is going to try to convince you one last time before he gets that you're a lost cause, and Higgs doesn't like it when he can't control people like you and me. You need to be careful, Lance."

Lance gazed at Agatha. This wasn't like her. Usually the old woman was fearless in everything from Pokémon battles to insults, but here she was, warning him in a low and cautious voice to be careful. "What can he do to me? I'm already Champion," Lance asked.

"Why do you think I'm retiring early?" Agatha asked darkly. "Higgs doesn't like people he can't control in power. Now quickly, change into something presentable, and remember: Higgs isn't above blackmail and intimidation."

Confused, he asked, "But what about the way you acted at the party?"

"Oh, I figured that since I was already a goner, I might as well give him the same humiliation he threatened me with. Hehe, karma's a bitch sometimes. But don't worry about me. Worry about yourself," Agatha said.

At that moment there was a loud and precise knock on the door.

* * *

_Sprout Tower – Violet City_

Silver was furious.

First there was that pesky little girl he had met in New Bark Town, Lyra, or whatever that boy with the Marill had called her. She not only now knew his name to tell the police, but she had defeated him in battle. _Him!_ That pathetic shrimp of a girl was going to pay for humiliating Silver in Cherrygrove City. The defeat was made even worse by the fact that she had only had her Pokémon, a Cyndaquil just that was just as weak as she was, for a couple of days.

Second, he wasn't allowed to challenge to leader of the Violet Gym. There was a chubby man guarding the entrance, somebody who probably couldn't even take him in a Pokémon battle, and he had the audacity to tell Silver that he should go train some more at Sprout Tower.

Humph! The nerve!

With nothing better to do before that man left, Silver had wandered around town before walking towards Sprout Tower. Based on all of the people in gowns and tuxedos, there had been some kind of a party in the upper part of the city. Considering most carried Poké Balls with them, whether on the inside of jackets or in purses, Silver knew that many of them were trainers and Gym Leaders.

_I'm going to beat you, you, and you_, Silver couldn't help but think as he had passed them. He was going to beat them all! Right after he finished with that annoying shrimp of a girl, Lyra. _I'm going to beat everybody until there is no single trainer that can stand against me_!

* * *

_Indigo Plateau_

Lance jumped up, his hands flying to his hair in an attempt to straighten it. He was fully aware of what his looked like in his wrinkled shirt and pants with his tie hanging around his neck. He had no shoes on either, so when the woman entered, his bare feet looked decidedly pale against the dark carpet.

"Come in," Lance said while Agatha shuffled closer to the door.

The door opened, revealing a young woman with red hair almost as dark as Lance's. Her crisp white dress looked like it belonged in a business meeting rather than Lance's suit. "Senator Higgs would like to speak with you," the woman said. "He requests that you join him downstairs in fifteen minutes."

Without another word, she left, leaving Lance and Agatha alone.

"Remember what I said, Lance. Don't let him get into your head. Higgs was pleasant at the party, but now you're playing with fire," Agatha said urgently, and Lance wondered what Higgs could have possibly done to force Agatha to retire early.

Agatha left, letting Lance quickly change into something presentable. He threw on his normal outfit minus the cape; he liked to save it for things more important than a breakfast meeting with Higgs. That was for his actual job of being Champion and facing challengers, not some slippery snake trying to bribe him.

By the time Lance had reached the room, Higgs was already almost finished with an elaborate breakfast, complete with the silver platter. There was nobody else in the normally crowded room, and Lance suspected that one of Higgs's bodyguards had cleared it.

"Senator Higgs, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Lance asked, taking a seat across from Senator Higgs. It was hard to believe that this loud, boisterous man was sneaky enough to get Agatha out of the Elite Four. Sure, Lance had always thought of him as self-centered and narcissistic with a hunger for money, but he never would have guessed Higgs would sink to something equal to extortion and threats.

And he had also kissed his little cousin's hand, twice. Ugh.

"Lance! We never got to finish our conversation. I was hoping you would reconsider," Senator Higgs said in his booming voice.

Lance chose his next words very carefully. "I appreciate the offer, Senator, but things are very busy here. My clan has been having some problems, and right now I would prefer to devote my attention to my family rather than … furthering my career." Those last words tasted like acid in his mouth. He hadn't become Champion to use as a stepping stone! That would be a disgrace to Blackthorn and the Dragon Clan.

"Ah, I completely understand, my dear boy. Family comes first after all," Higgs said, but there was a glint to his eyes that Lance didn't like. He mentally kicked himself for not noticing it sooner. "However, you will be pleased to know that I am in an excellent position to create more trials for those few who manage to challenge you. If I were to implement those measures myself and several others have come up with, it would undoubtedly make your schedule more open for other opportunities."

Agatha was right that he was playing with fire. Lance took ten seconds to think over his words before he responded. "As much as I appreciate your efforts, it wouldn't be right to interfere with other trainers for the sake of me."

"Nonsense," Higgs said. "They're still going to see if they can beat you in the end, so there really isn't anything to lose by weeding out the weaklings. Only the worthy will make it to the Indigo League to challenge you. I also imagine that it would make poor Will's job much easier."

Lance wanted to scream in frustration. Higgs never gave up, did he? This guy took 'all in' to a whole new level. He had dealt with infuriating people, namely Marina and the other fan girls, but they at least didn't hound him until he said yes - usually - _and _they weren't forcing Agatha to retire early.

"I am honored that you want me on your team so much," Lance began, but he couldn't help but think, _Honored? Yeah, right. _"But I have other stuff to do." He pushed back his chair to leave.

Higgs got up with him, dropping the façade of amiability finally as he gave Lance a long, hard look. "This is your last chance, Lance. I have ways of making your life much easier than it would be if you accept my offer. People who don't usually find it much harder to continue with their life normally."

His anger had been seething under the surface, but at those words, Lance could contain it no longer. "Are you threatening me?" he asked quietly. "Just because I don't want to have anything to do with you?"

Senator Higgs, incredibly, still kept his face polite. "I am simply informing you of the consequences, Lance."

"Like you informed Agatha of the consequences?" Lance demanded, curling his fists in suppressed anger.

Higgs smiled coldly at that. "She knew what I was capable of when she first refused. My reach spreads far, Lance, so I would be careful if I were you. At least until a new Champion comes and usurps you."

Lance laughed without humor at those words. "You make it sound like I'm king, Higgs. This may have escaped your notice, but not everybody wishes to control the entirety of Johto and Kanto. For us trainers, we love our Pokémon. And your reach isn't as long as you say it is, otherwise you wouldn't be sending people up on Mt. Silver in search of Red. You really are an idiot if you think you can force him to do anything."

"I wouldn't expect somebody as young as you to understand," Higgs said. "The political process is a very delicate one."

"You're right I don't apprehend the process, but even 'somebody as young as I' can understand what a democracy means. Have a nice day, Senator," Lance said with finality. He quickly left the room, eager to get away from whatever mind games Higgs was going to play with him, but no matter how far his feet carried him away, Lance couldn't help the sinking feeling in his gut.

Forget playing with fire; he had walked right into a blazing inferno.

* * *

_Route 32_

Lyra kept walking quietly along the path, hoping to come across a Mareep or any Pokémon that could help her with Falkner. Brock and Diantha's words had given her plenty to think about, and Lyra glanced down at the small egg in her bag for the hundredth time that day. Lyra never had much patience to begin with, but there was nothing she could do until the Pokémon hatched.

Diantha had said it would help her against Lance. Was it possible she had given her a Fairy-type all the way from Kalos? Or maybe it was just a Pokémon who could learn a move she hadn't heard of yet? Whatever it was, Lyra would have a tough time waiting until it hatched.

"_Cynda_," Cyndaquil suddenly jumped out in front of Lyra as a wild Pokémon with yellow fluff appeared to the side, munching on a berry bush. It was a Mareep, just the kind of Pokémon Lyra had been looking for.

"Okay, Cyndaquil," Lyra said softly so not to startle the Mareep. "We want to catch him, so we're just going to keep using Ember until I can throw a Poké Ball. He's going to help us defeat Falkner, so be careful not to knock him out."

Cyndaquil yipped once as if to say he understood before readying himself. Mareep seemed to realize that Cyndaquil wasn't going anywhere, and Lyra could hear the crackle of electricity for Mareep's wool.

"Cyndaquil, use Ember," Lyra ordered.

A thin flame exited Cyndaquil's mouth and grazed the Mareep's side. He yelped, and the air around him crackled with the build-up of electricity, and Lyra yelled, "Quick, Cyndaquil, before he uses ThunderShock, hit him with your Smokescreen."

Cyndaquil obeyed and sent a ball of smoke at Mareep, but not before a bolt of electricity arched through the air and hit Cyndaquil. Mareep yelped as the smoke engulfed him. Another ThunderShock materialized, but it landed a few feet to the left of Cyndaquil.

"Cyndaquil, Ember again!" Lyra yelled, readying a Poké Ball in her hand. When the second stream of flame hit Mareep with enough force to knock him over, Lyra threw the Poké Ball. Mareep disappeared in a flash of light, and the Poké Ball once, then twice, and a third time before coming to a standstill with a small _tink!_

"Yes!" Lyra cheered, jumping in the air; Cyndaquil followed her lead and hopped several times. "We caught it!"

She gathered up the small Poké Ball and looked at Cyndaquil. "After a little more practice, we're going to face Falkner for our first badge, buddy, but I need to get used to Mareep first." She held up Cyndaquil's Poké Ball, and the her companion disappeared in a flash of light.

Lyra breathed deeply and held up the ball which held the newly caught Mareep. Though the fluffy Pokémon was hers now, she was still nervous about whether or not he would obey her. What if Cyndaquil was a fluke, and all the rest of her Pokémon didn't like her? Sure, Pidgey would follow her orders, but Lyra knew that was all Pidgey would do.

"Come on out, Mareep," Lyra said.

There was a flash of light, and the Pokémon she had just caught appeared.

"_Mar?_" Mareep asked, tilting his head at her.

Lyra got down on her knees so she was level with Mareep. "Hi," Lyra said. "I'm your new trainer. Now I already know that you can use ThunderShock, but what else can you do?" Mareep just stared at her. "Okay, can you use ThunderShock on that tree over there?"

At first Lyra thought Mareep wouldn't obey her, but after a few seconds, Mareep dutifully aimed a bolt of lightning identical to the one that had hit Cyndaquil at the tree in question. Mareep must have still been tired from the battle because the bolt fizzed out quickly.

"Alright," Lyra said, more to herself. "Let's see what else you've got before we head for the gym."

* * *

_Indigo Plateau_

"Just let me at Higgs," Bruno pleaded while Will had been forced to call forward his Xatu to create a psychic barrier between Bruno and the door.

Agatha had called forward a meeting between the other Elite Four and Lance to talk right after Lance had informed her about the disaster of a meeting with Higgs. Lance had to endure a fair amount of yelling, but Agatha wasn't really angry at him. She was just furious about Higgs.

"No," Karen repeated. "We don't need you arrested for assault on the Head Senator of Johto."

"But he's the reason Agatha's leaving!" Bruno complained. "And nobody messes with Agatha and Dragon Boy on my watch. If he wants a fight, I'll show him a fight."

"Thanks, Bruno," Lance said, touched by Bruno's reaction to Higgs's threats.

"Yes, yes, but we need you to sit down and shut up," Agatha said, though Lance knew she also appreciated Bruno's efforts as evidenced by the rare pat on the shoulder once Karen forced Bruno into an armchair that sagged beneath his bulk. "Now, Higgs isn't going to stop with Lance. If there's one thing he hates, it's someone having as much control over Johto as he does. He's not going to take refusal well, so you need to be careful about what you do so he doesn't discredit or remove you."

"What about the new member who's going to join us?" Karen asked. "He can't do anything about that, right?"

Agatha smiled at Karen's question. "Not really. The League controls which four trainers are chosen to compete for the spot, and while Higgs can call in favors, Lance gets to choose at least one of the trainers, which helps us. Whichever one proves to be the best trainer gets the spot." While Lance and the others were familiar with the faceoff between three other trainers, how they were picked was new to them.

"I get to choose?" Lance asked.

Agatha rolled her eyes. "That's what I said, boy. Holy Mew, do you ever listen? You need to have a doctor check your ears to see if those dragons have hit you with a Flamethrower and burned out your eardrum."

Lance ignored Agatha's quip.

"Now I would suggest Koga from Fuchsia City. He has a very good style of battling, and it would be hard for anybody to convince him to do anything. Besides, his daughter Janine was already going to take up the gym whenever Koga left. Now, help me to that damned elevator, Karen. I'm hungry."

* * *

_Violet City_

"What do you mean I can't battle Falkner?" Lyra asked. "I need to get my gym badge."

The man in front of the entrance shrugged. "For what I can see, you have no badges, and a new trainer like you needs all the help she can get. Sprout Tower does wonders for helping trainers."

Fuming, Lyra left the gym behind. How could she be expected to have badges when nobody would let her battle in the first place? It was completely unfair! Cyndaquil and Pidgey had been training so hard for the past couple of weeks, and Mareep getting very good at aiming his ThunderShock. She wasn't – oh?

The egg in her bag wiggled once.

Diantha had said it was close to hatching, but Lyra hadn't expected it to hatch this soon. She had thought she would be waiting in agony for weeks and weeks, but apparently not. Gently, she lifted it out of her bag and set in on the grass away from the main road. It wiggled again, and this time a crack appeared on the top. Cyndaquil, who had been following her, leaned forward with interest as more cracks appeared in the egg. Suddenly the egg spit open, revealing a tiny Pokémon. Most of her body was white with the exception of the green hair that resembled a bowl cut with a single red horn sticking out.

Lyra had never seen a Pokémon like that before, and she expected that it was not native to Johto or Kanto. She withdrew her Pokédex and flipped it on. It read: _Ralts, the Feeling Pokémon. __Ralts is the pre-evolved form of __Kirlia__. It can use the horns on its head to read human emotions. Ralts rarely shows itself to humans, but may occasionally approach when it senses positive or happy feelings._

Insanely curious, Lyra scooted closer. Ralts looked up at her and shuffled a little bit forward. The newly hatched Pokémon looked at Cyndaquil and said, "_Ralts?_"

"_Cynda_?" Cyndaquil asked. He tottered forward and nudged Ralts's arm before jumping back.

Ralts giggled, and suddenly she jumped forward to tag Cyndaquil back. There was brief flare on Cyndaquil's back, but it wasn't from fear. It was from excitement. Cyndaquil started chasing Ralts around. Though Ralts wasn't very fast, she seemed just one step ahead of Cyndaquil.

It took Lyra a second to realize they were playing Tag. She laughed, and Ralts, hearing her laugh, moved closer to Lyra as if examining her. Lyra couldn't contain her excitement. Here was a Pokémon she had a chance to literally raise from the start. As if sensing her happiness, Ralts climbed onto her outstretched leg and looked at her.

"Hello," Lyra said, smiling at Ralts. She hesitantly held out her arms for Ralts, and she leaped at her neck. For a brief moment, Lyra thought Ralts hated her and was going to attack, but then she realized Ralts was giving her a hug with tiny arms.

Once Ralts had released her and resumed her game of Tag with Cyndaquil, Lyra whipped out her Pokégear and dialed Professor Elm's number.

He answered on the third ring. "Hello, this is Professor Elm speaking," he said.

"Professor, it's Lyra," Lyra said.

"Oh, hello! It's been a while since I've heard from you, Lyra. How is Cyndaquil doing? Ethan told me you also caught a Pidgey," Elm said cheerfully.

"Cyndaquil and Pidgey are doing great, Professor. We're about to face Falkner, but the reason I called you was because I have a question."

"Ask away, Lyra!"

"How much do you know about Ralts?" Lyra asked, and she could practically see Professor Elm typing away at his computer, hands flying across the keyboard.

"Hmm, the closest region they're normally found in is Hoenn. Ralts and the rest of the evolutionary family have never been native to Johto or Kanto, although some breeders are trying to fix that. Did you catch one?"

"Not exactly," Lyra said. "I was at the Pokémon Center, and I started talking with Diantha; she's the Champion of Kalos. She gave me an egg as a gift, and it just hatched into a Ralts."

"Diantha? Really?" Professor Elm asked. "In Hoenn, Ralts is considered a pure Psychic-types, but through some funny fluke, more and more of them are exhibiting enough traits to be a dual-type. Fairy, specifically. Professor Sycamore has been keeping me updated on all of his new research, and Valerie has also been helping. She's the newest Kalos leader and specializes in Fairy-types. If you have an egg all the way from Kalos, then it's possible that your Ralts is both a Psychic and Fairy-type. They do very well against the Dragon-type, though you should avoid Poison and Steel-types."

Lyra looked at the tiny little Ralts playing with her dear Cyndaquil. "Thanks, Professor," Lyra said.

"Anytime, Lyra, and I do hope that you come back to New Bark Town for Thanksgiving. We all miss you and Yvonne. You know, I bet you two could maybe make a pact to travel together –"

"Thanks a lot, Professor," Lyra interrupted loudly. The last thing she wanted was the mention of Yvonne to ruin the moment. "I'll try to make it back, but right now I have to get to Sprout Tower." With that, she hung up.

It didn't take that long to get to Sprout Tower, although she returned Cyndaquil to his Poké Ball and let Ralts follow her around to let her take in the view. Ralts was very timid of everybody who passed and stayed as close as she could to Lyra.

"It's alright, Ralts. I'm right here," Lyra said. After a second of thinking, she scooped Ralts up into her arms and cuddled her close. A quick glance at the Pokédex confirmed that Ralts fresh out of their egg only knew Growl, but there were other moves that a Ralts could learn by being bred with the right Pokémon. "We should try to learn Confusion next. It says that most Ralts can learn that fairly quickly."

Lyra finally reached Sprout Tower. With her free hand, she pushed open the doors and entered.

Everything was made of wood: the floors, the walls, the stairs. In the center of the room stood a pillar that vibrated so little, Lyra almost couldn't pick it up, but it was still there.

"They say the pillar moves because of the battles taking place upstairs," a woman said when Lyra approached her. The woman was the only one here not dressed in the long robes that reminded Lyra of monks. It made her feel slightly less underdressed in her blue tank top and grey overalls.

"I'll make sure to remember that," Lyra said, and she made her way to the stairs guarded by one monk.

He looked up at her approach. "Hello, trainer. Upstairs you will find many under the tutelage of Elder Li. Prepare yourself. They are by no means easy to defeat."

Lyra didn't know what else to say to the monk. '_That's what she said_' would have sounded rude and out of place, so she just continued silently up the stairs with Ralts in her arms. Of course, how hard the trainers were was just relative, so they could be super easy as well, but Lyra had no way of knowing.

Ralts suddenly cried out in fright and curled into Lyra's chest. Lyra looked up and her heart nearly stopped in fear. Hovering near the beams on the ceiling was a large, floating ball of gas perhaps four feet wide. And it had a face.

Ethan had told her before about the certain common Ghost-types that were native to Johto, and Lyra knew that she would never want a Gastly in her party. Ever.

It floated down from its perch and grinned at Lyra and Ralts. Ralts seemed incapable of moving, but a few comforting words from Lyra made Ralts raise her head and look at Gastly, though she was still terrified. Lyra wanted to run, but she found her legs couldn't move from fear.

"It's okay, Ralts. You can do this; just focus on projecting your mind at Gastly," Lyra said. She tried to keep her voice even for the sake for Ralts.

Her soothing tone seemed to help Ralts because she climbed down from Lyra's arms and faced Gastly. Lyra gasped when she saw Ralts also starting to levitate. The wild Gastly was also surprised, wiping its stupid grin off its face. Ethan had once told her about the Ability called Levitate, and apparently Ralts could somehow copy Gastly's Ability.

"Okay, Ralts, you can do this. Try to use Confusion." Ralts closed her eyes and focused while the Gastly seemed a little nervous. Lyra bit her lip. Ralts had only just hatched, and even if she knew how to use Confusion, it would be so weak that it couldn't even count as a real move.

However, while the move was weak and barely did any damage, it did succeed in making Gastly confused. Gastly tried to retaliate, but it only accomplished hurting himself more in confusion. Ralts tried it again, and this time Gastly skidded back several – well, not steps exactly, but he definitely moved backwards several feet.

"You got it, Ralts. You're doing fantastic," Lyra encouraged.

Gastly tried to defend himself again, but he was too confused to aim directly at Ralts. He hurt himself for the second time, and Lyra decided to recall Ralts before any damage was done to her new Pokémon. Ralts obediently disappeared in a flash of light, and Lyra grabbed a different Poké Ball.

"Mareep, finish Gastly off with your ThunderShock!" Lyra called.

Once Mareep materialized, the familiar bolt of electricity, so much more powerful than when Lyra had first caught him, sank into the ball of gas that was Gastly. It was too much for the wild Pokémon, and Gastly sank into the floor, disappearing from view.

"Great job, Mareep, come back," Lyra said. She let out Ralts once again to follow her. She needed to work on her Confusion if it was going to deal any damage to other Pokémon, wild or not.

Lyra encountered several more trainers dressed like monks. Ralts would always begin the battle to gain some more experience, but Lyra quickly switched her out before the enemy Pokémon could deal much of their own damage. Considering most of the trainers used Bellsprouts, Lyra would alternate between summoning Cyndaquil and Pidgey, who had been practicing the new move Gust. They all fell quickly, and soon enough Lyra made her way to the top floor.

Lyra approached the end of the room. There was the Elder just as she expected and he was talking with somebody who's red hair looked very familiar.

Lyra had hoped not to run into Silver ever again. Besides the fact that he was the thief who stole a Totodile for Professor Elm, their first (and second) meeting had been far from friendly. While Yvonne made several jabs at Lyra and her abilities, Silver was just plain cruel, both to people and to his Pokémon.

"Give me what I came here for, old man. I earned it," Silver said viciously.

"Yes, you did, but you should be treating your Pokémon kindly. They are not tools but rather our friends and companions. Strength will only get you so far," Elder Li said. "Love and compassion will get you farther still. Those are things you must remember as you face down Gym Leaders and trainers across the region

"Don't tell me what to do, old man," Silver snapped. "You're only saying that because you were weak. Humph! Some elder you are!" Silver turned to go back, and Lyra, still stunned from the appearance of Silver in a place like this, didn't have time to hide.

"You!" Silver said, almost tripping over her. "What are you doing here, you little shrimp! I thought you would have gone crawling back your mommy. If you're here to try to beat the Elder, it's a waste of time. He's a wimp just like you. Only cares about loving a Pokémon. Humph! I just want strong ones who can win battles."

The last part was more to himself than Lyra. Ralts, sensing the hostility around Silver, curled into Lyra's arms in hopes to hide from Silver.

Silver finally saw Ralts in Lyra's arms and gave her the dirtiest sneer he could manage. "What a weak little Pokémon. It doesn't even want to stand on its own. You're just proving to be more and more pathetic each time I see you."

"Leave her alone! She just doesn't like it when she senses anger," Lyra snapped back, ignoring the jibe at herself.

Silver laughed. "Arceus, you really are pitiful, aren't you? That thing won't amount to anything."

"Watch it. She'll still beat you," Lyra said.

"That thing can't even stand its own against a Caterpie. It's a good thing I have other things on my mind, or otherwise I would teach you your place. Now move, shrimp, before I make you."

"Meanie," Lyra muttered as she stepped aside so Silver wouldn't push her.

He heard her because he replied, "Shrimp," in a tone ten times nastier than anything she could have come up with.

When Silver was finally out of view, Ralts poked her head up as if to check if the coast was clear. She had been trembling from all of the enmity Silver had been radiating, and Lyra hugged her tightly. "It's okay, Ralts. He's gone now, and we have the Elder to battle now."

Lyra approached Elder Li while Ralts shuffled close to her side. "Um, my name's Lyra and I'm here to challenge you," she said hesitantly. Lyra had never initiated a challenge herself, and all the other trainers she had battled always had something to say, but Lyra couldn't think of anything appropriate to say to Elder Li.

He smiled kindly. "Welcome, challenger. Sprout Tower is a place for strengthening the bonds between trainer and Pokémon. I am the final trial. Allow me to test those bonds right now. Bellsprout, come out!" Elder Li called, throwing forward a Poké Ball, and another Bellsprout appeared, but Lyra got the feeling this one would be a little tougher.

Lyra looked down at Ralts. "You ready, Ralts?" Ralts nodded and moved forward to take the fighting stance.

"Bellsprout, use Vine Whip," Elder Li said. Bellsprout quickly grew vines that waved in the air and then lashed forward to –

"Ralts, pretend it's just Tag with Cyndaquil. Avoid it, now!" Lyra yelled. Ralts shifted almost unnoticeably to the right, and the vines hit the wood next to Ralts. "Great job, Ralts. Now retaliate with Confusion, just like we've been practicing."

Although Ralts had been barely able to make an impact of the wild Gastly Lyra, Ralts, and Mareep had fought an hour earlier, her psychic attack was not only much more powerful than before, but more accurate too. Bellsprout whined and thrashed as Ralt's Confusion took hold, but Elder Li wasn't just sitting around.

"Quick, Bellsprout, use Vine Whip again," he commanded. Unfortunately Bellsprout was weakened by Ralts's attack and missed again as it slowly lashed out at Ralts.

"Finish it off with another Confusion, Ralts. You're doing great," Lyra said. Ralts obeyed, and Bellsprout fainted and fell to the ground.

Elder Li recalled his fainted Pokémon, but no sooner had he sent out another Bellsprout. "You certainly provide a challenge, dear trainer, but I am not finished yet. Years have I trained my Pokémon."

"Ralts, use Confusion again," Lyra said. No matter how nice Elder Li was, she refused to be distracted until victory was hers.

The next Bellsprout fainted in just one turn, and Lyra noticed a tight look of concentration on Elder Li's face. "Hoothoot, it's your turn." The small brown and black bird appeared, flapping its wings to bring it slightly off the ground. It hooted twice, "_Hoot hoot_."

"Ralts, return. You've done enough for today," Lyra said, withdrawing her much-improved Ralts. "Go, Mareep!"

The fluffy yellow Pokémon appeared and looked at her immediately for instructions. "We're going to take down that Hoothoot, Mareep. Use ThunderShock!"

Mareep obeyed, but Hoothoot was already in motion. It deftly avoided Mareep's attack and responded by hitting Mareep with Peck. Mareep cried out in pain. Static electricity flared from Mareep's fur, and Hoothoot screeched. It tried to get up, but it was if its limbs were resisting.

_It's paralyzed, _Lyra realized. _Mareep's static paralyzed Hoothoot_.

"Now's your chance, Mareep. Hit 'em again with ThunderShock!" Lyra yelled.

This time Mareep's attack did not miss; Hoothoot was too slow with paralysis to avoid the arc of electricity coming right at it. As Electric-types attacks were supereffective against a Pokémon like Hoothoot, all it took was a good, strong ThunderShock from Mareep to put Hoothoot down for the count.

Lyra prepared herself for another Pokémon, but Elder Li didn't send out anymore. Instead he walked right up to Lyra who realized the battle was over. "Great job, Mareep. Your aim has improved immensely." She hugged him once, but the glow of light didn't come from the Poké Ball Lyra held, it was coming from Mareep himself.

The glow grew more and more. Lyra winced and averted her eyes, as did Elder Li. Suddenly the light died down, and Lyra looked at Mareep – only her Pokémon wasn't Mareep anymore. In Mareep's place was a pink Pokémon with tufts of wool on his head and around the neck. Otherwise the Pokémon was bare. It giggled, looking over its new form.

"A Flaaffy. Your Mareep has evolved into Flaaffy," Elder Li said, gazing at him. "You are a very fine trainer, Lyra. It's evident in the way you battle that you love your Pokémon dearly. Those are the essentials for becoming a great trainer. I believe that you have proved yourself enough to face Falkner. And here is the TM that you have earned."

Lyra took the tiny disc that Elder Li held out. It was small enough to fit snugly into the little pocket on the outside of Lyra's bag, and she thanked him while withdrawing her newly evolved Mareep.

Ethan had told her that evolution wasn't an exact science, and some Pokémon required different circumstances to evolve, but Lyra didn't care about that right now. The evolutions may be stronger, and some trainers refused to have Pokémon that couldn't evolve under certain, controllable conditions, but as long as Lyra had Pokémon she could love and trust, she was good. Her Pokémon would evolve when they were ready.

"Thank you again," Lyra said. "I know Ralts especially found this really helpful."

Elder Li put his hands together and inclined his head, leaving Lyra unsure of how to respond, but she didn't have to since Elder Li had left.

She exhaled and headed for the stairs so she could finally face Falkner and get her first badge.

**Whew. That was my longest chapter yet. Originally I was going to have Lyra's battle with Falkner in this chapter, but it was just getting to be too big. Don't worry! The battle will be in the next chapter.**

**I was also going to have only Pokémon that you could get in HeartGold and SoulSilver, but I decided that I didn't want to do that. Plus, Gardevoir is one of my favorite Pokémon of all time, and I just had to give Lyra one. There are also going to be some Pokémon that weren't even introduced until later generations, so I'm sorry if you don't like it. But hey, nobody's forcing you to read this story.**

**Also, Mega Evolution won't be involved in this story for a LONG time.**

**I hope you liked this chapter; I wanted to add somebody like Higgs to give the story something other than Pokémon battles since it is a region with laws and cities and stuff. Plus he's going to be an important character for setting up the sequel. *wink, wink, hint, hint, nudge, nudge***

**Special thanks to The Fading Author, Kitsunekit75, Proserpine .Hell, and AquilaTempestas for your lovely reviews!**

**Sincerely,**

**WorldNerd12**


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